


What we do is secret

by GermsBurn



Series: We Must Bleed [1]
Category: The Lost Boys (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood Drinking, Bloodlust, Canon-Typical Violence, Dom/sub Undertones, HIV/AIDS Crisis, Homophobic Language, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Queer Character, Queer Themes, Recreational Drug Use, Sacrilege, Vampire Turning, Vampires, later on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:27:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27259426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GermsBurn/pseuds/GermsBurn
Summary: Some episodes concerning humanity and inhumanity circa 1987; or, sex, drugs, and rock & roll. Also murder. Not necessarily in that order. Queer feelings/feeling queer.
Relationships: David/Dwayne/Marko (Lost Boys), David/Michael Emerson (Lost Boys), Dwayne/Marko (Lost Boys), Marko/Paul (Lost Boys), Michael Emerson/Dwayne/Marko, Michael Emerson/Paul (Lost Boys), Michael Emerson/Paul/Marko
Series: We Must Bleed [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2013589
Comments: 12
Kudos: 94





	1. Deus ex machina, In media res, etc.

**Author's Note:**

> 11/7/2020: Have made some minor updates throughout, mostly cleaning up the text, adding/refining some details, and putting up chapter summaries. 
> 
> Comments very welcome! I am definitely looking for inspiration to write more in this fandom...
> 
> Probably owes more to the Lost Boys universe of the brilliant [Kagemirai](https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/Kagemirai/pseuds/Kagemirai) and [Ranranbolly](https://www.archiveofourown.org/users/Ranranbolly/pseuds/Ranranbolly) than to the original movie, although I lack their inimitable talent for plot, among other things. I offer my apologies and/or thanks for any bits and pieces that may have found their way wholesale into this. Gregg Araki’s The Living End (1992) is also rattling around in here somewhere.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael gets his ears pierced; he wakes up with a killer hangover.

The four vampires slept like the dead, hanging upside down from a set of pipes running across the ceiling of the rough, cave-like room. Their faces, twisted masks of protruding bones, too prominent, too sharp to be human. Horrible claws in the place of toes gripped their perch. A pair of glowing yellow eyes snapped open, widening with a look of surprise. Max was dead, David could feel it in his blood, a surge of power coursing through his body. The vampire’s arms never uncrossed from his chest; he smiled a strange, upside-down smile, fangs bared.  
__

Michael stretched out, sinking into the ratty old couch that the boys had installed in the bowels of the hotel lobby. Oil barrels cast a flickering orange light over the upholstery. The faded floral pattern swam in front of his eyes. He felt unsteady. Was he still hallucinating? He was sure that those noodles had been worms when he had glanced down; but no, just noodles. The rice was just rice. The wine had tasted strange too, heady and rich with spices that he couldn’t name, almost metallic. The ghost of its taste rolled around in his mouth. He wanted more. The room seemed to sway as the lights danced around him. He felt unsteady yet taut with anticipation. Laughter bounced off the walls around him, mixing with the tinny sound of a tape deck playing some old Doors album somewhere deep within the cavernous interior.

David was staring at him. His eyes, unblinking, sized him up, waiting for something. “Michael,” he intoned, his lips turning up slightly. Michael would have described it as a smile, but the word didn’t really seem to fit the coldness that tempered the other boy’s expression. He forced himself to steady his gaze, focusing on David’s face. Ever since their eyes had met on the boardwalk earlier that evening, Michael had felt himself drawn to him. Forced himself to affect an air of confidence, nonchalance, pretend that he didn’t feel a nameless undertow pulling at him. Ignored the nervousness coiling in his stomach. He felt reckless. “Have some more,” David insisted, “bet it’s the best thing you’ve ever tasted.”

Michael took the dusty, jeweled bottle that was held out to him, steadied his hand and took a swig. The thick, red liquid was like velvet on his tongue; he took another gulp, thirsty all of a sudden. Warming up from the inside, Michael started to feel at ease, let himself relax into a comfortably drunken haze. He found himself almost hypnotized by Davi'ds face as he watched the firelight cast sharp shadows across his pale skin. He let his eyes fall over the cupid’s bow shape of David’s lips, which were strangely soft and delicate, out of place on his otherwise severe face. He was staring. Shaking himself out of it, Michael tried to grin casually, “Never had anything like it before, man.”

David leaned forward to rest his elbows on leather-clad knees, “Knew you’d like it, Michael.”

The room was still spinning. The other bikers, Marko, Dwayne, and Paul, had finally settled down, worn out. David rolled back and forth in the metal wheelchair that served as his makeshift throne. Marko had flopped next to Michael on the overstuffed couch, his legs resting over its arm and a joint between his fingers. He giggled as he passed the joint to Michael who took it automatically, not noticing how cold the other boy’s hands were.

He took a pull, closing his eyes as he felt the smoke build up inside him. He knew he had been staring at David again. He distantly felt he should be worried: had the other boy noticed? He was usually so careful, tried not to look. Tried not to even notice his impulse to look, telling himself that he was just coveting some guy’s muscles, sizing up his competition. He liked girls, and girls, well, they liked him. But he couldn’t stop thinking about David, couldn’t keep his eyes from being drawn to him. Even when he focused on something else, the awareness of David’s body prickled in his mind. Tonight, though, the usual train of anxiety remained at bay, dampened by the warmth that pooled in his wine-filled stomach, by the haze of smoke that was flooding his brain. He felt like he had known the boys forever, like he belonged here somehow. The sound of their race to Hudson’s Bluff echoed in his mind, David’s challenge, “How far are you willing to go, Michael?” Remembered how intently he had ridden, determined to keep up. He opened his eyes again, letting the smoke rush out, remembering how free he had felt bearing down on his bike, how alive.

Marko let out an appreciative whoop at their guest’s practiced technique, patting him on the back and laughing, “And that is how it’s done!” Michael grinned, passing the joint to Dwayne, whose earring glinted in the fire light.

Paul followed the direction of Michael’s glance, a gleeful look overtaking his face. “Mikey,” he sang out, “do you like what you see?” Before Michael’s stomach could twist at the implication, Paul hooted and sprung up, excited, “Let’s do yours!”

Marko turned over on the couch to look at him appraisingly, “Yeah, man! An earring would look so cool on you!” He paused, scrunching up his nose, “Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt too bad!”

Paul smacked him, laughing, “You’re such a liar, you cried like a baby when we did yours!”

Pouting, Marko rolled back over on the couch, sticking out his tongue when Paul turned his back to get something out from a nearby pile. Michael shrugged, embarrassed. But desperately wanting his own earring to match his brothers. His brothers? He felt unsteady again, where had that come from? Dwayne gave him a strange look, as if he had heard Michael’s stray thought.

David made his way over to the couch. A jolt ran through Michael’s body as he reached out and ran his gloved hand through his hair, exposing his left ear lobe. An insistent smile crossed the other boy’s face, which all of a sudden seemed impossibly close. “Yes,” he rasped, leaning even closer, “Join us, Michael.” He could hear David practically rolling his name around on his tongue. He drunkenly imagined he could feel the other boy’s breath on his skin. No, there was nothing, the air was strangely still.

“Okay, sure,” he said, trying to take the invitation in stride. Sure, why not, he’d always wanted to pierce his ear. His mom would probably kill him. He imagined Sammy making fun of him later, flicking at it, calling him a girl. David smiled in approval.

A crash rang out from the far corner of the room as Paul leapt up, emerging from a shadowy pile with something in his hands. “I got it!” he sang out, running back over to the rest of the boys. Marko put the bottle back in Michael’s hands, a little liquid courage. Michael gave him a grateful look. He tipped his head back to drink, closing his eyes. As the alcohol hit his tongue, he had the strangest sensation that the other boys were holding their breath, watching him drink.

The needle burst through his ear with a hot flash of pain. The cave-like space filled with sound as the boys screamed in approval, hooting and howling as they threw their arms around Michael, patting his back and admiring their handiwork. The pain faded almost as quickly as it had appeared. Michael grinned dumbly, feeling the warmth of the boys’ embraces, joining in their easy laughter, sharing in their excitement. David leaned back in his chair, satisfied: Michael was starting to look like one of them.  
__

Michael inched an eye open before closing it quickly as the sun assaulted his retina. The insistent knocking on the door was growing louder. “Michael, come on! It’s one o’clock already!” Why wouldn’t Sammy relent? Cursing his little brother, Michael buried his head under the pillows, grateful for the darkness but feeling strangely uncomfortable on his mattress. It was too soft, he felt like it would engulf him. He was exhausted. A wave of vertigo hit him. Fuck, he had drunk way too much last night.

He passed in and out of sleep as the sun rose higher. During brief spells of consciousness, he replayed the events of the night in his mind, the boys, the race, the bluff, the strange sunken hotel. It seemed unreal, though the hole in his ear suggested otherwise. He touched his earlobe, worrying at the coin that now dangled from it. He had expected the hole to throb, but he felt nothing, as if it wasn’t even there, as if it had always been there.

David’s figure cut through his agitated thoughts. He had been captivated by him from the first instant that he saw him. He had been surprised when David had sauntered over to his bike, leaning casually against the rail. Invited him to join the boys for a ride. When David had approached, he had tensed up, ready to defend himself, worried that the other boy could somehow smell his fear, or worse. Pretended that he hadn’t noticed the curve of the other boy’s lips, hadn’t let his eyes linger on his muscular arms. Had felt desperate to prove himself, prove something to himself. Michael sighed, pushing his hands into his eyes, hard, pressing against bone, annoyed and tired. He imagined David’s disgust. He tried to catalogue the night in his head: had he done anything, said anything, to give himself away? He heard an echo of David’s deep voice inviting him to ride out to the bluff. The memory shot right to his groin. He turned over again with a frustrated groan, trying to return to the comforting darkness of sleep.

Eventually, he gave up and stumbled out of bed, made his way to the door and staggered downstairs. It had been fun, but the hangover really wasn’t worth it, he thought, full of the familiar self-loathing that came after a few too many drinks. He felt worse than usual, strange, like his skin didn’t fit right, like something was itching that he couldn’t scratch, couldn’t even name. A tense restlessness settled over his body.

When got to the kitchen, his mom raised an eyebrow, “Just getting up now, sweetie?” She looked tired too, although she hid it.

Michael tried to smile back, embarrassed, he didn’t want his mom to think he was getting into trouble, didn’t want to worry her. “Late night, I guess,” he shrugged, pawing through the fridge, looking for some leftovers, something to eat. Nothing seemed appealing. Fuck, his head hurt.

Lucy didn’t look convinced. “Yeah?” She stirred her tea and waited.

“Met some guys my age, they were pretty cool,” Michael grinned sheepishly, “maybe drank a little too much.”

“Michael!” she admonished him half-heartedly, “You should be more careful, sweetie. But I’m glad you’re making friends.” She eyed his new earring, giving him a little sigh, “I do feel terrible about moving you guys out here like this…I wanted to make it work, you know.”

Michael watched his mother’s evident distress, her guilt at his state, with annoyance. He was surprised at how impatient he felt with her. He knew she blamed herself for his unhappiness. But it had been her decision to move them halfway across the country, hadn’t it? He slammed the fridge door shut; he couldn’t find anything to eat.

“There’s some leftover pasta salad on the counter, baby.”

He looked over, that would work. He tried to calm himself down, already feeling guilty over his callous thoughts. It’s not like moving mattered that much anyway. He made friends easily enough wherever he went. Never good friends really, not close ones. But he was always sort of popular. Good looking, decent at sports, a hit with the girls. There was always some girl.

He picked at the salad. He was hungry, but it was oddly unappetizing. He kept at it, knowing that he needed to eat something to settle his stomach, chase away the lingering hangover.

“What’s on your mind?”

“I dunno,” the started, unsure of how to continue. He stabbed at a noodle with his fork. God, his head hurt so much. Everything was too loud, too bright.

“You miss that girl you were seeing, back in Arizona, don’t you sweetie? What was her name, Amanda?” She gave him an understanding half smile, “There will be other girls.”

“Amy.” He sighed, that was just it, wasn’t it. He felt restless again, itchy. Maybe that’s why he had partied so hard with those boys last night. It felt so good to be a part of something. To shake off his inhibitions, let himself go a little. There were always guys who wanted to be around him. Happy to share a drink after a game, excited to be associated with the guy that all the girls were crazy about. But it always stopped at arm’s length, didn’t it? There was always this invisible wall between them in the end. It was his fault really, he was the one who kept that careful distance. He felt another wave of self-loathing coming over him. He wished, not for the first time, that he could stop himself from making things weird, could just be normal for once.

His mom was looking at him with her sad, brave eyes again. He hated her all of a sudden, hated her sympathy, hated the picture of him that lived in her head. She got up, slowly, and gave him a gentle hug. She didn’t say anything else, but he could read her expression. He felt guilty as she trailed up to her room, it wasn’t like she was wrong, wasn’t like she should know better. He had been inconsolable over Amy. For a week. They’d made all these plans together, he had let himself get caught up in it, like he always let himself get caught up in whatever girl he was dating. Not like he’d ever dared to do anything else. 

He gave up on the pasta salad, throwing it in the trash. Nobody ever guessed about him, he thought ruefully. It was ironic, he was always getting into fights on Sam’s behalf, taking out bullies, sticking up for his weird little brother. Had gotten something of a reputation as a tough guy back home, the kind of guy you shouldn’t mess with. But as far as he knew, the things that those kids guessed about Sam, well they weren’t wrong, exactly. They just pegged the wrong brother.

He poured himself a tall glass of water and grabbed some ibuprofen. Time to start to address this monster hangover like a professional. Swallowing the pills, he forced himself to drink the whole thing down.  
__

Michael was still feeling restless as the sun began to set, although his headache had finally started to subside. He tried lifting weights, but he felt strangely weak. Each time he started a rep, a bone-deep exhaustion would set in, his muscles refusing to respond. He was itching to go somewhere, do something. A cloud of irritation hung over him, a bad mood that refused to dissipate. He glared at his weights. Sam was watching him, laughing.

“Yeah, tough guy,” he grunted at his brother, “like to see you do better!”

That just made Sam laugh more, “Oh my god, Mike, just forget about this!” He looked out the window hopefully, “Hey, I need a ride to the boardwalk, there’s this cool comic book store I saw today with mom, but we didn’t have time to stop in.” Mike started to put away his weights, giving up. Sam’s voice grated, seemed even more high pitched than usual. “C’mon, Mike!” his brother whined, “it’s so boring here.”

Tamping down on the knot of irritation he felt, Michael forced himself to smile and grabbed his little brother, mussing up his hair, “Well, come on then, let’s go see what’s going on!” Sam grinned triumphantly, oblivious to his near-brush with Michael’s inexplicably short fuse. They hopped on Michael’s bike and headed down to the beach.


	2. In media res, again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys play with their food; Michael passes the final test.

He was plummeting, falling through the fog that clung obscurely to the night. He could hear Marko and Paul laughing manically somewhere in the thick mist as the air rushed around him. “Come on!” He heard them whistle, and then time stopped.

Michael was floating. It was as if the world had ceased turning around him. He had never felt so powerful, so free. The air seemed to wrap around his body, bending to his will, like the laws of gravity no longer applied to him. The events of the night flashed in his head. Riding to the boardwalk almost by instinct, dropping Sammy off. David glimpsing his new earring, smiling, inclining his head, greeting him with an enigmatic smile, “You’re one of us now, Michael.” Passing him a flask filled with that strange wine. He remembered riding out again through the night with them, remembered Marko, Paul, and Dwayne tossing words back and forth, taunting him, pressing him to follow them off the edge of the bridge. Remembered gathering up his courage, ignoring the voice in his head that was screaming for him to stop, to turn around, to go back and forget that this had happened. He wasn’t going to be intimidated by some stupid prank! Remembered the chorus of laughter and excited whoops that rang out as he lowered himself down from the ledge. Why had he followed the boys blindly? Why had he let go when David told him to? He hadn’t even paused to think, really.

All of a sudden, the world lurched back into motion and he felt himself plummeting again, the ghost of the trestle still in his grip. And then a pair of strong arms caught him, stopping his fall as the world faded from his vision.

__ 

_“So boys, what do you think?”_ David’s silent words echoed in the minds of his brothers as they lounged around the darkened lobby, surrounding the unconscious boy. He hadn’t bothered to put on his human face: his eyes glowed golden, shadowed by his jutting cheek bones, the sharp, downward slope of his brow. His hands were plunged in Michael's curls, working through his hair slowly, possessively. The second dose of blood tonight had done a lot to strengthen their connection, to hasten the change.

Dwayne licked his claws, savoring the taste of blood, salty with the ocean’s breeze. They had stopped for a quick bite before bringing Michael back. This particular “test” always worked up his appetite. He frowned skeptically, the boy reeked of humanity, “ _Let’s just eat him already.”_

Paul shook his head, “ _C’mon, he barely even hesitated. Killer instinct!”_ He cackled, rolling his shoulders and flexing his own claws, cracking his knuckles _._ “ _Caught some air too, didn’t he?”_ After a few seconds, he let the sharp tips recede, plunging his now-human hands into the tight folds of his pants and retrieving a damp, bloodied joint. He lit up, the flare matching his still-feral eyes.

Marko licked at his fangs, blood still splattered across his face, “ _I think he has potential,”_ he said carefully, a hint of doubt coloring his thoughts, “ _passed our first three tests, anyway.”_

Paul cackled, “ _Like you’re an expert, Marky-boy! We only turned you a couple of years ago.”_

Marko shoved, him, his pout turning quickly into a fit of laughter, “Having second thoughts?” He teased aloud, breaking the silence. He blew an exaggerated kiss at the other vampire, “I think turned out pretty good, asshole.” After a thoughtful pause, he added, “ _He’s real cute. Repressed as shit, though, could be fun.”_

Dwayne looked doubtful, “ _I think he’ll resist the change.”_ He glanced at Marko, fondness and approval in his eyes as he recalled the younger vampire’s transformation, “ _You were easy, brother, wasn’t too far for you to go.”_

David chuckled, it would be so sweet to watch Michael struggle, try to resist the call of the blood that was already sounding through his veins,” _He’s cute alright, and the chase just makes it sweeter.”_

Paul scooted over to Marko, pressing his head into his brother’s neck. Marko leaned into the touch, his golden eyes glittering as Paul began to lap up the blood that stained his face. Marko sighed, boneless under Paul’s ministrations, “ _Let’s give him a taste of what we are. See if he can handle it.”_ He closed his eyes, remembering with some bitterness how easy it had been for him to give up his own humanity.

Giving his brother’s face one last lick, Paul looked up, sated and stoned. “ _Well I like him,”_ he grinned, horribly, “ _He’ll be so much fun!”_

David narrowed his eyes, scowling and continuing to trace circles into the unconscious boy’s curls as he took their appraisals into consideration. Initiation wasn’t something to be undertaken lightly. He was in charge, but he wanted his pack to be happy. “ _Okay boys, let’s give him a shot.”_ He gave Dwayne one more glance and the other boy tipped his head silently in a gesture of grudging assent. Dwayne was a hard sell, usually wanted nothing to do with humans unless it ended in a meal, but he implicitly trusted his leader, had trusted him for hundreds of years.

He looked down once more at the halfling in his lap, slowing his hand to cradle his head. Asleep, Michael looked so innocent, so peaceful. But with a shiver of frisson David recalled the capacity for violence he had recognized immediately in the boy’s eyes, the vein of hatred running through his heart. The determination that Michael had shown in pushing past his unease as he raced through the fog that first night. Yes, there was a current of wildness just below the surface that David couldn’t wait to awaken. This would be very sweet indeed.

He nodded at Dwayne, who retrieved the boy from his arms and floated away, bringing Michael back to his human family. His days with them were going to be numbered.

__ 

Michael woke up nursing another monster headache. Why was it so bright? He felt around his nightstand blindly, fumbling for his sunglasses. Shoving them on his face, he forced himself to get up, head downstairs. Shit he was so hungry; his stomach was cramping violently. The daylight creeping in through the windows felt like high noon, like a searchlight searing his skin. He chastened himself bitterly for getting so drunk again, what had he been thinking? With a grimace, he turned the corner to take refuge in the kitchen. Nobody was home. There was a note from his mom: she had taken Sam on some errands and then she was going to drop him off at the boardwalk, could he pick him up later? He felt a pang of guilt, but it faded quickly. He just felt irritated and restless again, like he was supposed to be somewhere else. He rummaged through the fridge, but everything he ate just seemed to make him hungrier. His head pounded. He slammed the door shut, causing the contents of the fridge to jump. 

He sighed, pulling on his leather jacket, he had to get out of there. The sun was almost setting by the time he arrived at the beach. He could barely remember the trip, it was like he had been drawn there, like someone was calling to him. He parked his bike and set off aimlessly down the boardwalk. Fuck, his head was still killing him and he felt overheated in his jacket. He almost felt like he was underwater, the noise around him was muffled, reduced to a dull roar. He could see people moving and talking, laughing amidst the electric lights that were slowly turning on, but he felt disconnected, like he was watching them through a veil. He stared at the people that passed by, trying to bridge the chasm that seemed to have opened up between him and the world. He kept wandering, waiting for something.

It seemed like people were staring at him. He passed a little girl eating cotton candy, whose eyes went wide in fright when she saw him; she turned away, clutching at her mother’s hand. A young couple averted their eyes as he passed by. It seemed like people were avoiding him. What was going on? Maybe he smelled bad, he hadn’t actually showered in a few days. Something had been going on with the water heater, no matter how much he fiddled with the faucet, the water was scalding hot. Did he look funny? He toyed with his new earring, feeling self-conscious. It had felt so cool, so dangerous a few nights ago; now he wondered if it made him look feminine. He tried to remember those rumors at school, what it meant if a guy had a piercing in his left ear. Or was it the right ear? He hadn’t even thought to look in the mirror before he left the house, he had been so caught up in his hunger and pounding headache, had felt like a caged animal needing to get out. He passed the shop where he had bought his leather jacket just a few days before and tried to catch sight of his reflection of the shop window, mirror-like now that the sun had fully set. But he couldn’t seem to pick himself out of the bustling crowd that reflected back on the surface, it was like his face was always flickering out of his peripheral vision, just out of reach. He shook his head, feeling disoriented. His eyes must be playing tricks on him….but strangely, his headache was starting to fade.

His reverie was interrupted by a loud, familiar cry. Sam? He turned his head quickly and broke into a run, following the sound to an alleyway. A pair of bullies were hovering over his younger brother, who was hunched over, curled up on the ground. Shit, he was supposed to be looking after Sam tonight.

“Fucking faggot!” one of the boys scowled, as he landed a kick on his brother’s side. The other bully spit, joining in with his own kick.

“Sam!” Michael cried out. Sam’s eyes went wide with relief.

Seeing the tears on his little brother’s face, Michael let loose on the two assailants, rage overtaking him instantly. The world went red. The din of the boardwalk was replaced by an acute silence, punctuated only by the satisfying sound of fists hitting bone. Michael was landing punch after punch on the bigger bully’s chest, the boy’s accomplice already unconscious beside him. Sweat dripped down his face, blurring his vision, as he continued to pummel the boy. All he could feel was the blood rushing around him. “Stop Michael! You’re gonna kill him,” his brother cried out from the ground, still crumpled up in evident pain.

He could barely register Sam’s words as he kept landing punches, his fists now bloody and raw. Finally, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, holding him back. He struggled, shaking with rage, before his body recognized the embrace. A familiar scent, heady and rich, filled his nostrils, mixing with the coppery smell of the blood that covered his hands. He felt himself sag against the body holding him, catching a glimpse his face before passing out. It was David.

__

Sam looked at the blonde biker restraining his brother, before glancing at the bodies of his two assailants on the ground. He was still shaking, almost more frightened of his brother than he had been when the bullies had cornered him. Were they dead? He was frightened, too, for his brother: what if he had killed the boys? Had anyone seen? He blinked wildly. The guy holding Michael was scary, his face hard, all sharp angles, his hair in a spiky mullet. Skin pale against the long, dark jacket that he wore. Weirdly, his expression was almost tender as he looked down at Michael, who was unconscious against his chest.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” The guy cast an appreciative glance at the battered bullies, before turning to fix on Sam. "Scram, kid," the blonde flared his eyes wide with an intimidating start, "We'll take care of this." We? Sam looked around and noticed, for the first time, that the blonde was surrounded by three other bikers, all decked out in leather, with wild hair styles. They looked dangerous. He could have sworn he saw the eyes of the smallest boy, a blonde with curly hair and a shabby, patched-up jacket, flash yellow.

“Are they dead?” He managed to get out, “Shit! Shit, my brother’s going to be in so much trouble.” He felt himself breathing hard, these guys were sort of terrifying.

The bleach blonde stared at him for a second, before his face broke into a smile. The smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Your brother? Interesting. Tell me, what happened?” 

Sam panicked, his voice high, “Mike was just trying to protect me.” Shit, he didn’t want to say any more, what if this gang of bikers decided to pick up where those bullies had left off? He looked down at his stupid pastel shirt and winced, feeling the pain in his side. He felt a shiver of self-loathing and confusion, he didn’t understand why he was always singled out, why people always clocked him. It was like they knew something that he didn’t even know. He felt tears welling up in his eyes, he ruined everything, Mike was going to be in so much trouble.

The smaller boy with the patchwork jacket leaned down, squatting next to him. He reached down and held Sam’s head for a second, looking at him intently. His expression was as distant and unreadable as that of the others and his hands were freezing cold. " _Little shits,"_ Marko said to the others, bitterly, “ _Still playing punch the fag.”_ He stood back up, looking at Michael with an approving grimace.

Paul’s eyes lit up, “ _Here we go!”_ He looked back and forth between Marko and David, “ _Let’s finish the job!”_

David nodded, “ _We gotta get rid of the kid first. Dwayne, are they dead?”_

Dwayne crouched down, checking for a pulse on the nearest body, nothing, “ _This one is.”_ He checked the other, “ _Almost.”_

Sam watched as the bikers seemed to carry on a silent conversation in front of him. It was unnerving. Finally, the mulleted one turned to him again, with a smile that seemed almost kind—although again Sam sensed that the sentiment didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Don’t worry, kid. He didn’t kill anyone. They’re still alive.” He tilted his head, before adding softly, “Too bad.”

Sam nodded, numbly, frozen to the spot.

The smallest biker turned to him again, another strange look on his face, “Look, you gotta get out of here, don’t want you getting in trouble. Go on, we’ll make sure someone takes care of these guys,” he nodded at the two bullies piled up on the ground, “and get your brother patched up, all safe and sound like.” 

Sam, looked back and forth between the bullies and his brother, still slumped against the rough-looking blonde. He didn’t know what to do, but it seemed like these guys did. He was scared for his brother, but he was also still scared _of_ his brother: he had always had a bit of a temper, but he had never seen Mike so filled with blind rage. He thought for sure he had been about to kill them. He nodded and ran out of the alley, wincing still at the sore spot on his side.

Once they were alone, Dwayne picked up the dying boy and sunk his fangs into his neck, draining what was left before tossing him against the wall. Turned to David with a sinister smile, " _Maybe the halfling has some potential after all."_

__

When Michael came to, he was pressed between David and Paul. He looked around. They were sitting on an outcropping of rocks beneath the boardwalk in some dark, out-of-the-way spot. An inviting smell was flooding his senses. He looked down, noticed that David was passing him the flask. “Drink up, Michael,” he said with a hint of admiration, “you earned it.”

His head was swimming. His fists were throbbing in pain. He tried to remember how he had gotten here. He recalled arriving at the boardwalk as if in a fugue state. He remembered the world going red. Shit, his brother. Was he okay? He cringed as the night came back to him in waves, as he remembered beating the shit out his brother’s assailants. Had he killed them? He felt sick. His stomach twisted. He put the flask to his lips, taking a drink. David had stopped him, he thought with relief, remembering that David had pulled him off the boy, preventing him from landing another blow. He tipped his head back and took another long swig.

Paul snatched the flask from his softening grip and held it up, “To Mikey!” He cast an almost speculative glance at David before taking a sip. He closed his eyes as he drank, as if overcome by the flavor, by the occasion. He passed the flask to Marko, who also tipped it back reverently, his eyelashes fluttering. He opened his eyes and cracked a slightly demented smile, passing the drink over to Dwayne. Dwayne took a sip, wordlessly, his expression unreadable as he handed it back to David.

David grinned at Michael, pulling him closer. “To you, Michael,” he whispered, putting it to his lips and swallowing.

“Shit,” Michael leaned forward, head in his hands, “I owe you guys. Lucky you found me, I guess. I could have killed those kids.” He didn’t notice the dark look that passed between the other boys. He took another drink from the flask that had been pressed back into his hands. He was starting to calm down. “What the fuck even happened?”

“Nothing they didn’t deserve,” David reassured him.

“It’s just Sammy, my brother, he’s always getting in trouble.” He startled, “Shit, is he okay? Where is he? I was supposed to look after him tonight.”

Marko looked up, “Little bro is fine. We sent him home to mommy for a Band-Aid and some chocolate milk.” He laughed a strange, sour laugh, staring off into the distance.

“And the bullies? They okay?” He asked, hopefully.

Paul snickered. David reached behind Michael, shoving the other boy, “Nothing for you to worry about, Michael.”

Michael took another drink, feeling oddly relaxed. It was a relief to know he hadn’t done anything crazy, and he was glad they didn’t seem to have any questions about what had started the fight in the first place. Didn’t want to try to explain about his brother, didn’t know how to explain the intensity of his reaction. He rubbed at his knuckles absentmindedly, surprised to find that the damage wasn’t as bad as he had thought.

“Feeling better, Mikey?” Paul gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder. “The night is young! We should have some fun, celebrate your triumph!”

Michael rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help smiling. Paul's enthusiasm was contagious.

Marko hopped to his feet, spinning around, having somehow gotten ahold of the flask. He raised it again, letting it catch in the moon light but not taking a drink this time, “Let’s paint this town red, boys!”

He joined in as they laughed, let his worries fade away, melt into the calming sounds of the beach at night.

__

They ended up at a burger joint at the far end of the boardwalk. Michael, David, Marko, and Dwayne slid into a booth, while Paul went up to grab their order. Michael grinned, feeling at ease. It was a bit odd, he supposed, that his new friends were taking the whole incident in stride like this. But then again, they seemed like a tougher crowd than the one he usually ran with. Probably dealt with this kind of thing all the time. He suppressed a nervous smile, excited by the air of danger that clung to the boys. He noticed that the other diners were eyeing them apprehensively, seemed to look away whenever he looked their way. He toyed unconsciously at the coin that hung from his ear, matching the earrings that the other boys each wore.

David leaned in with a calculating look, “Hungry, Michael?”

“Famished actually,” he admitted, his stomach twisting at the very mention of food. “I feel like I haven’t eaten in days.”

Another dark glance passed between Dwayne, David, and Marko at this. “Gotta get you something real good to eat,” Marko grinned, pulling a face at a couple of kids that walked by their booth and laughing when he succeeded in frightening them. “What’re you in the mood for?” He asked, turning back to look at Michael with an odd, expectant expression.

“Bon Appetit, motherfuckers!” Paul set down a tray piled high with burgers and a mountain of fries, divesting himself of a couple of Cokes he had clutched to his chest. He rolled his eyes when a family at the next booth over glared at him, flipping them the bird and sliding into the seat near Dwayne. He grabbed a fry and flicked it at Michael, “Dig in.”

Michael gratefully grabbed a burger and took a big bite. It wasn’t too bad, although it didn’t quite hit the spot. He took another bite, noticing it was rare, not his usual preference, but he didn’t mind. David was watching him curiously, “Taste good?”

Michael nodded, “Thanks guys, guess I worked up an appetite.” He tried to eat with more gusto than he felt, not really noticing that the other boys weren’t much touching their own meals.

“We know all the best spots to eat,” David looked amused. Paul snickered into his burger, giving Marko a meaningful look. Even Dwayne seemed to be repressing a grin. “Anything you want,” he continued, “we can make it happen.”

Michael didn’t really know how to respond, so he just grinned and watched as Paul flicked fries at David and Dwayne and at any unsuspecting people that walked by the booth. After a while, Paul and Marko started to make a competition of it, concocting an elaborate point system. The table erupted in howls of laughter when one of Marko’s missiles landed on a big rock of a guy who turned to glare at the bikers. The man’s eyes widened when he saw where the fry had come from and he backed away, giving them an obsequious smile and laughing along nervously

“We run this town, Michael.” David leaned back, looking smug, “You're gonna like being one of us.”

They hung around for a while longer as Marko tried to talk the group into finishing with some ice cream sundaes. Michael nibbled on the remaining fries, happy. He was having a great time, and it was good knowing that these guys had his back. He felt like he could just let go a little, like he didn’t have to keep such a tight grip on himself around them. The bikers were intimidating as hell, sure. And Dwayne was pretty unfriendly, but maybe he just took a little longer to warm up to someone new? Michael got that. Despite Dwayne's reserved mien, he felt like he had already somehow been admitted into the group’s inner circle. He was vaguely surprised that he wasn’t bothered more by them, put off by how they acted. But he just felt excited, felt like he belonged.

David clapped his hands, raising himself up from the table, “Okay boys, let’s ride!”

__ 

Michael pushed his bike to its limit, tearing through the night. It was getting late and the air was fresh, crystal clear. It felt almost like flying. When they got to the bluff, he stopped at the edge instinctively this time, letting out a loud whoop. He was joined by the others, their voices echoing into the night sky. He felt great, all of his problems, his misgivings, left behind in the dust.

David cracked some beers once they got down to the lobby, passed them around. Paul dragged out the boom box, playing some harder rock this time. They spent the next few hours getting trashed. Marko and Paul were dancing wildly, jumping off the walls, balancing on edge of the broken fountain in the center of the room, swinging up on some old fixtures that protruded from the wall. They kept drinking as the night wore on. Marko would stack the empty cans into a pyramid, which Paul and Dwayne took turns demolishing. Paul launched himself through it with more and more baroque kicks, usually landing in a way that would surely have been painful to a sober man, whereas Dwayne favored toppling it with a well-aimed projectile. David was quiet, drinking in the scene with a lazy, magnanimous smile.

Michael could barely remember how the night had started, didn’t notice that his knuckles were totally healed. Paul passed a joint around, stronger than the one they had smoked the night before. Before long, Michael’s head was spinning again. He felt himself drift in and out of consciousness, struggling to maintain his grip on reality.

Sometime later he started to come to, his eyes searching the dark room. He must have passed out. It was quieter now, but his mind was still clouded with the drugs. David was sitting on his strange throne, his eyes closed, eyelashes cast down softly against his cheek. Dead to the world, looking almost angelic in the low light. Michael was still intoxicated enough to let himself stare, let himself get lost again in the shape of the other boy’s lips, the expanse of his glowing skin. David felt the halfling’s gaze, but forced himself to remain still, seemingly unconscious. 

After a while, Michael’s eyes continued their search of the room, landing on the forms of Dwayne and Paul. He startled. The lanky blonde was stretched out on Dwayne’s lap, his hands tracing up and down the other boy’s bare chest. Michael couldn’t look away, was mesmerized by the delicate movements of Paul’s wrists and fingers as they slid over Dwane’s skin. Michael couldn’t see Dwayne’s face; his long, dark hair hid his eyes as he inclined over Paul. The two seemed caught in their own world. Michael imagined what Dwayne’s muscles would feel like under his hands, he imagined Paul’s elegant fingertips ghosting over his own torso. Paul’s hands slid, drifted, tantalizingly slow in their movements, as if he was underwater. Strange, Michael had never noticed how long the other boy’s nails were, how sharp. As he watched, he felt oddly calm, lulled by the intimate movements, too tired, too high still, to try to make sense of what was happening, to worry about being caught staring.

Michael was jolted out of his reverie at the sound of a throat clearing. David was staring at him appraisingly, awake now. Michael panicked, his eyes going wide, his mind instantly flooded with fear and guilt, his heart pounding. He felt totally sober, like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over his head. The room was somehow even more silent than it had been before. Marko had appeared, leaning against the wall, half hidden in shadow. His usual smirk was gone, an unreadable look crossing his face as he narrowed his eyes. Paul and Dwayne had both turned their attention towards him. Dwayne’s hand wrapped around Paul's shoulder, possessive and fierce. He glared at Michael, his eyes shining out almost golden in the darkness. Paul smiled knowingly as he took in Michael’s panicked expression. David tilted his head, frowning. He paused, “This gonna be a problem, Michael?” Paul's voice was soft, dangerous.

Michael blinked, “No, no, I mean, yeah, it’s cool.” He floundered, looking back and forth between David and the two boys. Shit. He tried to breathe, tried to reconcile this new knowledge with the image of the boys that had been forming in his mind. Slowly Paul’s face slid into something resembling a satisfied grin, like he was enjoying watching Michael sweat. “It’s cool,” Michael said more firmly, steeling himself, replaying the past few days in his mind. How had he missed this?

David looked at the other two boys, almost protectively, and then turned back to Michael, “Good.” His face was impassive for a beat, and then a sinister smile spread wide across his face. Michael had the strangest sense that he had passed some kind of final test. David passed him the flask that he always had tucked in his black coat, “Cheers, Michael.” 


	3. People are strange when you're a stranger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael goes looking for answers; what he finds changes him.

When he woke up in his own bed, Michael almost expected the waves of hunger and pain that immediately wracked his body. What he didn’t expect was to find himself pressed against the ceiling. His bed looked far away. Holy shit, he was floating! As soon as he realized what was happening, he fell, landing with a thud on his mattress. The pangs in his stomach intensified and he doubled over, curling up into fetal position. He felt a strange throbbing in his mouth. What the fuck was going on? The sounds of the house echoed in his head. He could hear his mom cutting vegetables in the kitchen. Sammy in the bath, singing along with some dumb pop song. Grandpa tinkering around in his workshop. He wondered, vaguely, how he could make out these distant activities. It was almost like he could hear the blood rushing their veins. What the fuck? He needed some answers, and he had the strangest feeling that David was the only one who could give them to him. 

He hoisted himself down from his bedroom window, landing silently, and got on his bike. It was already dark out. All the pain and confusion faded away as he approached the sunken hotel. He scrambled down the rocks, finding it impossibly easy to navigate the treacherous terrain. It was already dark, but he could see everything perfectly. As he entered the hotel, something inside him settled, he had done the right thing in coming here, this was where he needed to be.

“David!” The lobby was empty, but he could sense the presence of the boys, knew they were there somewhere. “David!!” He shouted again, more loudly, “What’s going on? What the fuck is happening to me?”

“What’s going on?” David stepped out of the shadows, smiling wide, repeating himself, “Hmmm, Marko, do you know what’s going on?”

He looked at Marko, who suddenly appeared donning a matching shit-eating smile. “I dunno,” he replied, in a sing-song voice, “what’s going on, Paul?”

Paul emerged from the shadows, striking a match to light an ever-present joint hanging between his lips, “Why, who wants to know?”

Dwayne answered, flatly, a look of annoyance crossing his face, “Michael wants to know.” It occurred to Michael that this was probably the second time he had ever heard him speak.

The boys had surrounded him, all grinning oddly toothy smiles. Their eyes were inscrutable, menacing, although he had the strangest sense that this was just a game, that he was in no danger as the four boys kicked around the question. He met their eyes, one by one, lowering his voice, “Tell me what the fuck is happening to me. Every time I hang out with you guys, I black out, I don’t know how I get home, I wake up feeling like shit, and then before I know what’s happening, I’m here with you again. I think I beat these assholes to a bloody pulp yesterday, but every time I try to remember what happened, my mind goes blank. I’m fucking starving all the time. This morning, I was,” he paused, unsure if it was wise to continue, if they would think he was crazy, “hovering over my bed! In mid-air, for god’s sake!” Michael was so worked up that he didn’t notice the collective shudder that passed over the boys at this invocation, “I’m losing my fucking mind. And I think you know something you aren’t telling me.”

 _“It’s time,”_ David observed silently.

Paul nodded, laughing, “ _Poor Mikey! Sounds like he had quite a surprise this morning.”_

Marko looked distressed, “ _We should really just tell him what’s going on_.”

Paul giggled some more, already high, “ _I dunno, Marky-boy, not everyone would take the news as well as you did.”_

Dwayne remained silent, eyes narrowed. 

_“Hmm,”_ David made up his mind and locked on Michael’s face with an evil look, “ _We show him tonight.”_

Michael watched the silent exchange with growing anxiety. His frustration, his need for answers replaced by indignation as he grew sure that they were leaving him out of something important, playing some joke at his expense. Resentment festered in his stomach and he clenched his fists. What the fuck! He tried to remember what had happened the previous night, everything was such a blur. A vivid image of Dwayne and Paul flashed in his mind. He started to panic again, what had he said?

“Calm down, Michael,” David said, removing one of the gloves that he perpetually wore, “You’re one of us, now, aren’t you?” He pressed a bare hand to Michael's face, almost tenderly, his skin oddly cold to the touch.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” He glanced wildly at the boys, at their earrings, remembered his earring, wondering if his face looked as cruel, as inhuman, as theirs. He hadn’t seen himself in the mirror in days, really, when he thought of it. Despite his confusion, he found himself inexplicably calmed by David's touch, noticed that his headache had faded, his hunger abated.

“Come on, Mikey!” Paul called out, skipping over to his side, slinging an arm over his shoulder, “We’re going to the beach!”

Marko was at his other side all of a sudden, grabbing his hand and tugging him towards the entrance, “Don’t worry, Mikey, all will be revealed!”

“My name’s Michael,” he grumbled, no heat in it, feeling weirdly reassured and complacent, and let himself be led towards his bike.

The ride to the beach was a relief, he felt in sync with the boys as they hugged the sharp turns of the road, clear-sighted despite the darkness and fog. It was thrilling, flying through the night in unison, nothing but the road and the sky. He could make out a curl of smoke rising in the distance: a bonfire. They cut their engines almost at once, following David’s lead and stashing the bikes under some bushes near the road. The walk down to the beach was silent, although Paul slung his arm around Michael’s shoulder’s again, conspiratorially. Their path was lit by the glow of the moon, almost full, and he could hear the waves crashing on the shore, the flames licking the air. The boys stopped, finally, a short distance from the party gathering around the bonfire. As they arranged themselves almost like owls on the branches of a large tree overlooking the beach, Michael felt himself becoming agitated again. What the fuck were they doing here? The whole thing made no sense, no one has explained anything to him at all! His stomach pains had returned, and he was starting to feel weak and achy now that the adrenaline pumping through his blood during their ride over had started to recede.

David turned back towards him, tilting his head in invitation, “What are you waiting for, Michael, join us.” Michael stared for a second, clenching his jaw, before he reluctantly followed him and climbed up onto the lowest branch. From their perch, they could see the party on the beach. About seven or eight Surf Nazis and some random girls lit up by the fire, drinking beers and listing to shitty music, mostly static. Michael’s stomach contracted again, causing him to groan in pain. He felt David’s hand come to rest firmly on his shoulder. “Initiation’s over, Michael,” he said, his gaze never straying from the bonfire, “it’s time to join the club.”

All of a sudden, Dwayne growled. He felt David give his shoulder a quick squeeze and then before Michael could see what was happening the boys launched themselves off the tree. Michael stared, dazed, as they seemed to fly towards the bonfire, their bodies blurring. Then he heard the first scream.

The air filled with the scent of blood and Michael’s vision narrowed. He could see everything. Dwayne hovering with a surfer a few feet above the ground, his face burrowed in the boy’s neck, blood streaming down, hitting the sand in thick spurts. Paul holding down a particularly big guy, laughing maniacally as Marko pounced onto the man’s chest, digging into his skin and snarling wildly. David watched over the carnage from the side, casting a dark shadow on the frenzy unfolding in front of him. One of the girls tried to run and David’s hand shot out, grabbing her and snapping her neck in one quick movement. He stopped another runner the same way, without even a second look. Michael felt frozen to the spot, unable to tear his eyes away. He watched Dwayne drop the body he had been holding into the fire, causing the flames to shoot up, illuminating his face. His eyes were aflame beneath the distorted mask of his face. His features seemed contorted into an inhuman grimace, the ridge of his brow folding down unnaturally over his eyes, his cheek bones jutting up, sharply angled. Fangs descended from his mouth, glistening with blood. He launched himself at another surfer, pinning him to the ground with his bare feet in a bloody instant, a clawed hand raising up before plunging into the man’s chest. Marko was painting himself in blood as he tore happily at another Surf Nazi, rending flesh from bone, sucking loudly at the man’s neck, his eyes glowing beneath a twisted mask of flesh and bone that matched Dwayne’s fearsome visage. Paul was floating high above the scene now, cackling as he dropped a lifeless surfer into the ocean, blood streaking his face, matted in his long blond hair.

Michael took in the scene with horror, unable to tear his eyes away from the massacre. He should stop them, should call someone. Bullets of sweat were pouring down his face, as he stood, frozen to the spot. He could smell the blood in the air, carried over by the ocean breeze. He felt himself start to tremble, his stomach throbbing and his head pounding with renewed vigor. He squeezed the branch he was holding onto for balance so hard that it snapped. He fell to the ground. By the time he was able to drag himself up, David was stalking back towards him. The screams had already died down and the biker had one final surfer with him, struggling under his arms. Michael felt himself still as he took in David's inhumanly twisted features up close.

His eyes were yellow rimmed with red, his terrible face pale and pristine. “So now you know what we are,” David grinned, baring his unnaturally elongated and sharp canines, “and now you know what you are.” Michael felt the thrum of the surfer’s blood rushing in his ears. “You’ll never grow old and you’ll never die,” he drew out each word, his mouth twisting downwards for an instant, tasting the bitterness of the words, “But you must feed.”

He thrust the surfer towards Michael, never taking his eyes off the other boy. Michael felt like he was in a trance. The horror and revulsion that he knew he should feel was muffled by the intensity of David’s steady gaze, which pinned him, had been burning him up inside since their eyes first met. He could feel the other boys gathering around them: Paul, Marko, Dwayne. Their matching faces glowing in the moonlight. Their expressions were totally inscrutable, but Michael could feel that they were watching him with anticipation, waiting for his reaction like it is the only thing that mattered in the world. Michael squeezed his eyes shut, he wanted to run, wanted to get away somehow. “ _Michael, Michael,”_ he felt his name echoing in his head above the deafening roar of the surfer’s pulse, as if the other boys were chanting it aloud. 

He opened his eyes, feeling his face change and shift, becoming something other than human, the bones sliding under his skin, taking on a sharp, predatory shape to mirror the others. Something rearranged deep inside of him; as he looked at the surfer, he felt acutely the distance between what the other man was and what he had now become. His yellow eyes adjusted instantly to the darkness, taking in every detail in perfect sharpness and clarity. He could see the surfer’s blood pulse at his throat, taste the fear that had replaced the man’s ability to think. He felt fangs pierce through his throbbing gums, extending sharply down, wet with spit and blood. He found himself licking at his teeth as the pain rearranged itself into an all-consuming desire, finally terrifyingly clear in its object. 

He had to stop himself somehow. His hands were in tight fists, newly-formed claws drawing blood. Panting, he turned his gaze upward at David. “I can’t,” he said weakly, forcing the words out past the fangs that felt clumsy and new in his mouth. Tears were streaming down his face. All he could feel was the hunger pangs that pulled at his stomach, the throbbing of his gums as his fangs ached to plunge into the man’s throat. Visions of the boys bathing in the blood of the Surf Nazis flickered through his mind, as he replayed the sounds of their screaming victims, the boy’s gleeful shouts and howls. The memory excited him. He concentrated on the sharp pain prickling his palms as he clenched his fists tighter and tighter.

The boys were still staring at him intently. Paul shifted his head to the side, rocking up and down in anticipation. Licking blood from his claws, Marko watched excitedly as Michael struggled with the hunger.

 _“He’s not going to do it,”_ Dwayne’s mouth twisted in disgust.

David frowned, “ _He’s so close, he wants to, just needs a push.”_ He made up his mind, thrusting the surfer to Dwayne with a nod and stepping towards his halfling. This wasn’t exactly what he had planned, but it would be great.

“It’s okay, Michael,” he took the other boy’s head in his hands in an incongruously gentle gesture, “You don’t have to make your first kill tonight.” Michael’s eyes flew to Dwayne as he heard the taller boy growl and rip out the last surfer’s throat, spraying blood into the air as he viciously licked and sucked at the wound. David began to stroke his cheek with the back of a clawed finger, instantly calling his attention back. The serene smile that had been glued to his face soured, “But make no mistake, you _will_ feed.”

Michael knew that he should be frightened by the monster looking down at him, but as David touched him another hunger had begun to overtake him. As if sensing the shift, David’s face turned victorious and he leaned in, licking a stripe up his neck, letting a fang skim the delicate arch of skin. Michael’s blood rushed downward. He felt a twinge of surprise as another hand reached past the hem of his jeans. Marko. The clawed hand wrapped around his growing hardness. David leaned closer, his nose pressed to Michael’s, glowing yellow eyes meeting his own matching pair. Michael's resolve was wearing down, exhausted by the restraint he had tried to exercise. As Marko's movements sped up, he found himself unable to do anything but moan wantonly, all memory of the slaughter that he had just witnessed pushed out of his mind. He felt wild as he let go into the feeling, finally releasing his perpetual grip on himself. He lost himself in Marko’s quickening movements, every sensation that crossed his face witnessed, catalogued, savored by David; he couldn’t hide anything from the other boy, he knew. He was an open book.

When the smell of blood scented the air again, David had drawn a claw across his own wrist, letting rivulets of red gather and begin to drip. Michael growled. Before he even knew what was happening, he was lapping nosily at David’s wrist, bringing his hands to hold the boy’s arm steady as he dug his teeth into the wound. The taste was incredible, beyond any imagining. The blood gurgled around his mouth as he buried his face into David’s arm, sucking, trying to draw it out faster.

David gazed at his halfling, taking in the newly-formed face covered in blood, eyes burning. Michael looked so amazing like this, he had known that the boy had it in him, had known he would be perfect. David felt a wave of pleasure roll through his body, extending from his head to the tip of his toes, as Michael gave in to his new nature, lost himself in the blood. “ _Michael, doesn’t that feel so much better?”_ He caressed the boy’s jaw, “ _This is what you were made for.”_ The boy couldn’t really hear him, of course, was too far gone. A dark smile drew David’s lips back. He could feel Michael’s release as Marko squeezed the boy’s aching cock one last time.

When Michael came, his mind was empty of any thought save for the blood. White hot flashes of pain and pleasure shot through him, shaking him to the core. He swooned, losing himself in the darkness. David beamed, taking in the vision of Michael feral and covered in blood, before leaning in to lick his face clean.


	4. We're real close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael learns the truth; Paul takes a dip.

The boys took their sated halfling back to the hotel. Michael was delirious, overwhelmed by the new sensations that coursed through his body, the new appetites that were emerging from the pain of the changes that he had underwent. The evening hadn’t unfolded exactly as David had hoped, but, hey, this turn of events still worked. Even better, maybe. Now Michael knew what he was, what they were. And now he knew what he was missing out on if he tried to deny it. The rest of the pack was getting on board, wanted him to take the plunge. Michael was way too far gone to go home again, that was for sure. A smug look crossed David’s face: it was only a matter of time until Michael made his first kill and joined them forever.

Michael slowly came back to himself. He was back in the cave-like lobby, it was familiar, yet his enhanced vision took in details he had missed before, he could hear rats and pigeons scurry and coo in the distance, could smell a thousand subtle odors, could feel the hidden rooms that stretched back, impossibly deep in the earth. He stared at the four boys, willing himself to be repulsed by the savage acts he had just witnessed. But he couldn’t quite bring himself to feel anything other than curiosity, curiosity at their monstrous tastes and at the developing sense of kinship that drew him towards them. He tried to summon some of his old guilt and self-loathing when he thought back to the animal he had become at David’s wrist, the humiliation of his moaning and writhing at Marko’s touch. Nothing. It had been great, had been everything he ever wanted, everything he never even knew that he wanted. He felt numb, totally detached and distant from the feelings that the rational part of him knew he should be having.

He could feel David looking at him appraisingly. Ever since he drank from him at the beach, he had felt the other boy’s presence acutely. “I bet you’re feeling better now, Michael.”

He took in David’s words, trying to collect his thoughts. “What the fuck are you?”

“We,” David replied, emphasizing the word, “are vampires.”

We. Shit. He looked at the other boys again, Dwayne’s face had slid back into its true form, angular cheekbones jutting out, brow shadowing over golden eyes. He stared, inhumanly and just a bit disdainfully, at Michael as he picked dry blood from the claws that curved over each of his fingers.

 _“You’re scaring him, Dwayne!”_ Marko teased, watching Michael avidly through his human-seeming eyes.

David pursed his lips, shrugging, “Dwayne here doesn’t really like to pretend.” Dwayne remained silent.

“Don’t take it personally, Mikey,” Paul winked, “he’ll warm right up to you once you lose that last shred of humanity!”

Marko giggled, leaning back to rest against Dwayne, who adjusted himself protectively around the younger vampire, his expression unchanging. Michael furrowed his eyebrows, trying to understand.

“Do you remember what I told you?” David asked, pausing, “You’re one of us now, you’ll live forever. Never get sick. Party all night. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?”

He remembered, couldn’t forget anything he had seen and heard at the beach. “Yeah that sounds great,” he snorted, “but seems like there’s a pretty big catch!”

David considered the halfling eyebrow raised, “You have to feed, Michael. You must understand that now.” He paused, flicking away some dust on his jacket with a gloved hand. When he looked back up, his expression was merciless. “You _are_ going to make your first kill, seal the deal.”

Visions of the massacre at the beach flooded his head. Michael’s mind raced, remembering the bodies burning, the twisted necks, the bloodless corpses that the boys had dropped into the ocean. The numbness of his release was wearing off, he felt sick with the truth: that he had wanted to join in. He remembered how tempting the blood had smelled, he remembered barely being able to control himself as a strange instinct took over, transforming him. “I can’t do that!” He protested, shaking his head, “I won’t.”

“You _will_ ,” David said flatly. He closed his eyes for a second, as if summoning his last ounce of patience. When his eyes opened again, they were feral, glowing, “This is what you are now, you’ll get over your human qualms soon enough. Cause guess what? You're not coming back from this.”

Michael looked back at Dwayne, staring at the boy’s predatory face, trying to find some recognizable emotion beneath its strange shape.

Paul sighed, “You loved feeding from David, right?” The vampire didn’t wait for Michael to reply, “Don’t pretend it wasn’t the best, we all saw you!”

Michael felt himself flush, remembering spending in his pants. Shit, he could still feel the dry come between his legs, it was disgusting.

 _“Grab him some fresh pants,”_ David nodded at Dwayne.

“Stop worrying so much, Mikey,” Marko chimed in, “it was awesome!”

Shit, it was like they could read his mind. But also like nothing that he thought could possibly faze them. He thought back to the other night, trying to make sense of it. “Wait, so are you guys all…” He started to ask, pausing unsure of how to continue.

“No,” David started to shake his head and Michael felt his stomach plummet, had he misunderstood? “Michael,” David’s voice was almost reassuring, “calm down. But, no, it’s not like that exactly. We aren’t human, those concepts don’t really apply to us, don’t mean much anymore.”

Paul leered at him, running a hand up and down David’s shoulder, “We’re _real_ close though,” he said, licking his lips and drawing out the words insinuatingly.

“Is that why you picked me?” Michael asked, unsure, “You knew?”

Dwayne had returned, silently tossing him a pair of leather pants.

Marko giggled, “Well, Davey here thinks you’re real cute!”

David glared at the other vampire, before turning back to Michael, “Listen, we take what we want, do what feels good. That’s it. Simple.”

“Sleeping with food isn’t really much fun, anyway,” Paul added, laughing, “you just get hungry and miss out on the best part.” He scratched his head, “Shit, I could eat again.”

Michael grimaced, remembering that they were talking about people, human beings.

“I chose you Michael,” David continued, his earring glinting in the low light, “Because I knew you would be a good addition to our pack. Not many pass our tests. You’ll fit right in, I promise.” He paused, shadows playing across his face, hinting at the sharp angles that lay just below the surface, “You’ll love it.” 

Michael worried at the supple leather of the pants that Dwayne had tossed him, thinking back to the foggy race, to the feeling of hanging from bridge. He remembered how willingly he had followed them, how desperate he had been to be around the boys, to prove something to them, to himself. He thought back to the implacable need, the infatuation, he had felt since he first saw David, the longing that had even bound him to the demonic apparition the boy had become on the beach. Thought of Paul’s delicate hands, Dwayne’s strong chest. He felt a familiar twinge of self-loathing, felt monstrous faced with his desires, faced with where they had led him. Would he really kill people? He could already feel the hunger stirring again, dully, as the vampire’s blood flowed through his veins, doing its sinister work.

“What happens if I can’t do it?” Michael asked, sighing, thinking of his family, of all the innocent people that the boys had just slaughtered.

“Then we eat you,” Dwayne replied, speaking again, his voice deep, distorted by the dangerous-looking fangs that protruded from his lips. He didn’t look displeased at the prospect, as far as Michael could tell. 

“This is it, Michael.” David was unyielding. “You’re either one of us or you’re a ‘hamburger.’”

Marko straightened up from his perch against Dwayne, looking almost sympathetic, concerned. “It’s not such a big deal, Mikey,” he tried to reassure the halfling. “Once you’ve made your first kill, something changes, it gets easier...It just doesn’t matter to you much anymore.” Michael stared at the innocent-looking boy, horrified.

David raised an eyebrow at the younger vampire, amused, “ _Don’t remember it mattering much to you at all in the first place, Marko.”_

Marko shrugged, a haunted look flickering across his features, gone almost as soon as it had appeared. “Trust me, you’ll be fine.”

Michael played at the leather, turning it in his hands, as he tried to imagine not caring about taking a human life.

“You’ll love it,” David grinned, repeating himself, his voice low and hypnotic, “I promise.”

 _“Sun’s up soon,”_ Dwayne looked at David.

David frowned, thought about how to handle this situation. “ _Paul,”_ he said silently, “ _Get our new brother cleaned up, calm him down while we figure out where he’s gonna sleep.”_

Paul cocked his head to the side, “ _You think he’s gonna go through with this?”_

David smiled, “ _Oh yes, he will. Not that he has much of a choice.”_

Michael watched the vampires look at one another, as if they were carrying on a silent conversation again. “Shit, can you guys read each other’s minds?” He asked, mortified, but also feeling left out.

Paul smirked, grabbing Michael by the shoulder. “You’ll learn all about what we can do, Mikey! Let’s go get you washed up before beddy-bye.”

Michael looked at David, confused. The vampire shook his head, “You can’t go back to your human family now, Michael. Remember how you felt this morning? Well, after how much you drank from me tonight, it’s gonna be a lot worse. You wanna eat your mom, your little brother?” His voice was pitiless, “Cause we can arrange that.”

Michael shuddered, so much for running. He let Paul led him down into the bowels of the hotel, clutching at the pants still balled up in his hands.

__

The pair walked in silence, heading deep into the cavernous maze that extended from the lobby. He followed Paul unthinkingly, passing nimbly over the cracks and piles of rubble that littered the path. He couldn’t explain how he kept up with the other boy, couldn’t explain why he went along willingly.

Paul grimaced, “Stop worrying so much, Mikey! Look, we’re here.” They had arrived at a pool deep in the hotel’s interior. The water looked about six feet deep, it seemed to stream in from a channel carved into the cave-like wall. Paul knelt down and lit a few candles before he started to strip. Michel stared, surprised, as Paul pulled off his shirt. The candlelight caught knots of crystal that studded the dilapidated walls, glinting and reflecting in the water. It was almost beautiful. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up, you’ll be uncomfortable if you sleep like that.” He gestured at Michael's crotch with a wink. Paul was already totally naked, his body pale, taut with lean muscles. He stretched out luxuriously, letting his neck roll as his eyes gleamed gold for an instant. He stepped into the pool, “C'mon, water’s fine!”

Michael frowned and shuffled off his jacket, leaned down to untie his sneakers. He unbuttoned his stiff jeans, trying not to feel embarrassed as he peeled off his ruined boxers. God, he couldn’t remember the last time he had showered, probably before he had met the boys. He couldn’t believe he had known them for less than a week. He walked over to the pool, meeting Paul’s eyes as he toed the water apprehensively. Paul reached behind his ear, plucking a joint hidden in his wild hair and leaning back to light it from one of the nearby candles. He passed the joint to Michael after he joined him on the narrow ledge that hugged the interior of the pool’s wall. The two sat, submerged to their shoulders, passing the joint back and forth. Michael stared contemplatively at the water, which was turning a pinkish hue as the blood that was caked onto Paul’s hair started to dissolve. The pot began to mellow him out. He let himself space out, staring at the glittering veins of crystal overhead, a peaceful numbness settling over him again.

“Was it hard for you?” Michael asked after a while, “To make your first kill?”

Paul looked troubled for a second, as if he was struggling to remember, “Nah man, I was high as fuck. Barely gave it a second thought.” Then he laughed, “Matter of fact, been high as fuck ever since!” Paul took another inhale and sunk deeper, “My drug of choice back then was opium, could barely tell my ass from my elbow.” He awkwardly tried to examine his elbow for a second, laughing before he gave up.

“Opium?” Michael had never heard of anyone he knew doing the drug.

“Long time ago, dude,” Paul grinned.

“Oh,” Michael said, surprised, “How old are you?”

Paul pulled a coy face, kidding again, “You shouldn’t ask a lady her age!” He laughed, batting his eyelashes theatrically, “Older than you’d think, that’s for sure.”

Michael wondered how old Paul could possibly be, wondered if vampires didn’t like to talk about when they were human.

“Some do, some don’t,” Paul said, reading his mind again, giggling darkly, “Probably shouldn’t ask Dwayne.” He leaned his head back against the pool’s ledge, closing his eyes again, deep in thought, passing the joint back to Michael. “It was the ’20s when I was turned. Daddy was a traveling preacher, serious as a fucking heart attack, fire and brimstone, the asshole.” He sighed, skipping ahead a bit, no need to get into the gory details. “Couldn’t take it, got out of there, got caught up in some crazy shit with some crazy fuckers. Alistair Crowley, Satanist rituals, the whole nine yards.” He reached his hand out for the joint. “They were full of shit of course, but I didn’t care. Just wanted to…forget, go totally, utterly blank.” Paul paused, took another drag, he didn’t really like talking about his past. Didn’t really like thinking about it even. Tried not to. “Anyway,” he finally continued, “I was pretty lucky that it was David and Dwayne that found me. Got what I deserved anyway.”

Michael took in Paul’s words, trying to reconcile the boy in front of him with the creature he knew was pushing eighty years. Paul looked at him, eyebrow arching ironically, “Isn’t that the bitch!” He teased at his hair for a second, its usual volume deflating rapidly with the moisture in the air, “I make an effort to keep up with the times. Just gotta chat up a record store clerk or a hairdresser before you eat ’em every once in a while.”

Michael breathed, nervously, “Do you regret it?”

Paul turned to him, serious for a second, measuring his words. “That’s not really how it works,” he tried to explain, “but no, haven’t felt an ounce of regret since my first kill. Took to it like a fish to water. It’s like David told ya, being a vampire is great, party all night, never grow old.” He gestured expansively, “Fuck, feed, it never stops.” He started to giggle, the high finally overcoming his preternatural constitution.

After a few minutes, Paul let out a happy hum, passing Michael the joint and ducking under the water for a second. He reemerged abruptly, shaking off his hair, splashing Michael and laughing. Michael surprised himself by joining in, laughing as he wiped the water from his eyes. He took one last deep pull, he was way higher than he had realized. He stubbed out the joint at the edge of the pool and dove under the water. He opened his eyes, he could see everything clearly. He smirked and tugged at Paul’s legs, pulling him down. Paul laughed and jumped on Michael, toppling him over into the center of the pool. They kept fighting, splashes and screams bouncing off the walls of the cave-like space. He felt great, the high fogging up his brain, crowding away the worries that had piled up on his shoulders. All of his confusion, his apprehension, faded away as they horsed around. Michael felt Paul sneak up behind him, he turned quickly, shoving the other boy back down, held him under. Paul struggled, kicked for a second, and then went still. The darkness of the room spread out around him, the water was too still. Michael started to worry, surely he couldn’t have hurt the vampire? Stoned, he tried to make sense of what had happened, how long had Paul been under? Shit.

All of a sudden, a spark of arousal shot through him. He felt Paul’s mouth on him, licking up and down his length. Holy shit, he couldn’t believe this was happening. Again. Paul shoved him hard against the wall of the pool, staying underwater, beginning to work him in earnest, sucking as Michael started to harden in his mouth. He felt his heart hammer as blood rushed downwards. He noticed, for the first time, how cold the other boy’s hands were, how cold his mouth was. It was the strangest sensation, but soon he felt himself melting against the wall, splashing as he struggled to find purchase. Everything was happening so quickly, he could barely think. Paul sucked relentlessly, fingers running, knife sharp, up and down his thighs, grabbing his ass. Fuck, the vampire wasn’t coming up for air. The pool started to run pink again, Michael’s blood staining the water. He squeezed his eyes shut, lost in sensation, in the crossing of pleasure and pain, feeling his climax coming as Paul took him deeper. Instinct took over and Michael sunk clawed fingers into the other boy’s shoulders, started fucking his face. Paul matched his movements, letting Michael’s cock hit the back of his throat, sucking harder as come started to pulse into his mouth. Michael growled, coming in waves, as Paul continued to suck him down until he felt boneless, floating.

He opened his eyes, watching lazily as Paul reemerged from the depths, eyes glowing. Michael knew his own eyes had turned to match, could feel the bones readjusted in his face, prominent and inhuman. Paul grinned, letting his own face fully shift. His hair was slicked back, his skin flawless, no sign of the damage Michael had felt himself do when he had gripped the vampire’s shoulders just a few seconds ago. He looked dangerous, powerful. Michael shivered for a second, coming back to himself, remembering exactly what kind of a monster he was sharing the water with. The shiver turned into a hot twist deep inside him as he realized that he looked the same, _was_ the same now. Almost. Paul slid against him, those delicate hands that Michael had stared at the night before tracing up his torso in cold, sharp lines. He grinned, laughing wickedly, “Another perk of being a vampire! No need to come up for air.”

“Shit, man,” Michael breathed, “That was wild, I mean, I never…” His voice sounded lower than usual, tangled around the fangs.

Paul shook his head, “Trust me, stop thinking so much, and just let yourself go. Live a little!” Paul laughed ironically at his own joke, and then pulled him back under water, grabbing at him until the two surfaced, giggling, their faces human again. The water began to run clear as the shallow wounds that peppered Michael’s thighs and ass healed over with unnatural speed.

The high was already wearing off as they got out of the pool. Paul threw him a towel, god only knows where that had come from. “God,” Paul spat, the word burning on his tongue, “has nothing to do with it.” He grinned horribly, the toothy smile at odds with the thin illusion of his human face. He laughed again, pulling on his pants. “Fuck,” he sounded annoyed, “My hair is going to be a disaster.” He pulled a face, explaining, “Mirrors don’t really work for us.” Michael laughed, tension easing, picking up the leather pants dubiously. He felt a bit silly, pulling them on, but they fit like a second skin. He pulled a hand through his hair, tugging pointlessly at his own wet curls. Paul cackled and tossed him a fresh shirt. “Don’t worry about your ratty old shoes, sun’s almost up, c’mon!”


	5. We're your family now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael wakes up alone; he makes a decision.

Michael woke up to the most excruciating pain of his life. It was ten times worse than the hunger he had been feeling every morning for the past few days, worse than the pain that had seized his insides before he had fed from David last night. He quaked with it, his stomach cramping violently. He curled up, his clawed hands tearing into the skin of his forehead, where he could feel the unnatural shape of the bones, could feel the fangs sinking into his lower lip as he cried out in pain. Where the fuck was everyone? He felt horribly alone, like he had been ripped from the womb, like he was stranded in the middle of a dessert, nothing around for hundreds of miles except for the unrelenting rays of the sun, like he was suffocating in the dark void of outer space. Tears streamed from his face as he shook uncontrollably.

A hand was touching his shoulder, _David,_ he thought wildly, his body flooding with relief. He looked up. David had appeared, was rubbing his shoulder soothingly. A coppery scent ripped through his senses; Michael had latched onto the vampire’s wrist again, his fangs had easily pierced the skin. Blood was pouring into his mouth, richer and sweeter than he remembered. David watched him, a hint of a smile on his otherwise impassive face, as he let the halfling feed.

“Enough.” He pressed Michael’s face away, gently but firmly, before bringing his wrist up to his mouth, licking the wound to heal it. Michael felt his features melting back to their usual appearance, felt fangs, claws retracting. Words came back to him, slowly, as he shifted to sit up.

"Good, huh?" David gave him an arch look. “Michael, you need to make a decision,” he paused, pressing his fingers through the drops of blood that decorated the other boy’s forehead. He lifted his fingertips to his mouth to taste the blood, closing his eyes for a second has he savored it. He frowned, opening his eyes again to look sharply at the halfling, “Tonight.”

“It’s not just the hunger, it’s being away from us, from me.” David looked serious, “How’d it feel, waking up alone?” Michael grimaced, it had been horrible. This went beyond the way he had felt subconsciously drawn back to the boys over the past few nights; he had felt like he was missing a limb. “You’ve had a lot of my blood, Michael. The more you take, the harder it is to be away from me. It’s hard for any of us, really, to be far from the pack. But you’re so new, I’m betting it felt like torture.”

Michael listened, growing angry. They had tricked him, hadn’t they? Made him drink blood without his knowledge, had drummed up his hunger, had forced him to take more, had seduced him. Turned him into this…monster. His fingers ghosted over his forehead as he remembered the way his features had twisted, remembered being worked into a climax by Marko, by Paul.

David caught his hand, stilling it, “Stop that, Michael. Don’t fight your nature. I saw it in you the second we met. I was sure after I saw you on your bike, that’s why I offered you my blood. You felt something too, didn’t you, that’s why you took it, why you drank.” David’s voice dripped over him like honey, assuaging his temper, “You were already one of us, already pack.”

Michael felt the fight drain out of him, felt himself resigned, strangely placated by David's reassurances, even as the meaning of the words seemed to pass right over his head. An instinct, deep in his bones, told him that David was right, that he would be fine if he just trusted him.

“C’mon, let’s get this night started.” David led Michael back out to the lobby.

Michael heard Marko and Paul laughing and screaming before he saw them. The pair were flying around the hotel lobby, wrestling in mid-air, droplets of blood spraying from the shallow wounds that they had inflicted upon one another. Michael felt his body lurch at the smell, he instantly drew his finger to his mouth, licking at a few drops of blood that had fallen on his hand before he realized what he was doing, before he could stop himself.

Paul laughed, “Look at you!” Michael felt embarrassed, what was he thinking? But Paul winked as the two vampires descended, and he began licking his own blood-splattered hand.

“And check out those new duds!” Marko gave him an exaggerated once over, running his eyes up and down the other boy’s body, taking in the leather pants and the clean black shirt with an indecent smirk. “A little monochromatic for me, but it works!”

“Oh!” Paul jumped up, turning, and ran over to a pile of odds and ends in the far corner of the room, “Look what I found.” He emerged holding his prize above his head, a pair of motorcycle boots.

David whistled, “Perfect.”

Michael took the boots, noticing that he was barefoot for the first time since he woke up. They fit. He looked up at Paul, touched, not sure what to say. Paul winked again, and then added, darkly, “Not like their previous owner can get much use out of them anymore!”

A chill ran down Michael’s spine, as he remembered exactly _what_ the other boys were, what he was on the verge of becoming. But it didn’t quite extinguish the easy glow of camaraderie rising up in him. He tried to put it out of his mind. He felt David pat him on the back, “Good decision.” 

_“Is he ready?”_ Dwayne asked David impatiently from his perch in the shadowed upper reaches of the room.

David smiled, taking in the scene with satisfaction, “ _Oh yeah, he’s gonna be ours before the night is over.”_

Marko glared at the other two, “ _That was a mean trick, leaving him to wake up alone.”_ He bit at his glove, anxiously remembering his own transformation, not so long ago, remembering the painful loneliness stretching out before he was pack.

 _“Had to learn somehow, didn’t he?”_ Paul maneuvered his brother into a headlock, messing up his hair. “ _So how are we doing this? Can’t crash another beach party…”_ Marco wriggled out of his grip, stuck his tongue out at Paul

 _“I’m thinking something a little more private,”_ David said, “ _get him to really let loose.”_

Paul nodded, “ _Can’t wait! He’s too much fun.”_ He smirked, “ _And anyway, I’m starving.”_

Dwayne gave him a look, “ _You’re high.”_

“Michael, ready to ride?” David asked, spreading his hands out in an expansive gesture.

__

The boys mounted their bikes and sped into the night. Michael felt his doubts fall behind as the wind rushed past him, the night painting a glittering picture around them as they rode. He felt himself blur, fade into the rumble of their engines. Before he knew it, the boardwalk was coming into focus. David hit his brakes and the others followed.

They walked down the boardwalk, electric lights catching on their earrings, on the spikes decorating Paul’s leather jacket, on the chains around Michael’s new boots. The sea of people parted around them, giving the boys a wide berth. Some of the locals did a double take when they noticed an extra boy among the usual four, though they quickly pretended they hadn’t noticed anything at all. Tourists were less savvy. Some looked away with obvious discomfort when they glimpsed the boys; they were unnerving to say the least. Other out-of-towners stared, not smart enough to look away. A group of girls tried to make eyes at Dwayne, who sneered, causing them to titter in excitement. Michael felt his face break into a smile, walking in sync with the boys made him feel powerful. It was as if the planks of wood beneath his feet were forming and falling away with every step he took forward, as if the very night was made for them. He found himself giving a middle-aged woman a minatory grin, didn’t even stop to wonder at the satisfaction he felt as she clutched her bag to her chest and hurried off. Marko nudged Paul, and the two giggled quietly.

“So what’s the plan?” Michael wondered aloud.

Marko grinned, “What’s the plan, Paul?”

Paul hopped back and forth on his feet, excited, “I dunno, what’s the plan, Dwayne?” 

Dwayne scowled, “Who wants to know?”

After a beat, David fixed his eyes on Michael, amused, “Who wants to know what?”

Michael rolled his eyes, deciding to play along, “I do, I want to know what the plan is.”

The boys howled in laughter, drawing odd looks from the passersby. “Well, I don’t know about you boys, but I’m hungry,” David said, picking up the pace. Michael felt an answering curl of hunger in his stomach, found himself hurrying to keep up.

He almost didn’t notice when a high-pitched voice called out his name. “Mike?!” The boys slowed down, turning. Sam was running towards them. Shit. He hadn’t expected to see his little brother here, had almost forgotten about him. How had he forgotten about Sam? “Mike!”

His brother ran right into him like a freight train, wrapping his arms around him. Michael felt oddly uncomfortable, his whole body itched with the need to disentangle himself from the human boy. He cringed, this was his little brother, what was wrong with him? “Sammy, you’re gonna crush me!”

Sam stepped back, looking at his brother with concern. “Mike, where have you been? We’ve been worried sick about you, Mom’s looking everywhere. Why didn’t you call?” A look of alarm crossed his brother’s face, “Did you get in trouble? Shit, what happened to those two boys??”

“Calm down, Sammy, everything’s fine.” He paused, trying to figure out what he was going to say. His ability to think was quickly being overwhelmed by his awareness of the sound of the blood that pulsed beneath his brother’s skin. The smell was flooding his senses. He felt a throbbing deep within his gums, pressure mounting throughout his body like his bones were pressing against his skin.

David step forward, “Give your brother some space, Sammy.” He drew out the boy’s name, menacingly. Michael felt himself move back, unthinkingly, to be closer to David.

Sam’s eyes widened, his brother’s friend was scary looking. He had felt grateful to the older boys two nights ago, but seeing them now was unsettling, they were dressed like criminals, their eyes cold and distant. Even the smaller one, who he remembered kneeling down to check on him wore a hardened expression, as if he had never seen him before. His eyes flew to his brother’s face. He looked just like them! He was wearing leather pants to match the jacket he had bought last week, had a pair of tough motorcycle boots. The coin dangling from his left ear matched the earrings that the other boys wore. The look in Michael’s eyes was different too, unfamiliar. His face was pale, his eyes were drawn and shadowed. “You look like shit, Mike,” he said, his voice wavering, “are you okay? What happened?” 

“Look,” Michael started, before another wave of hunger hit him, causing him to lose his balance. David was there, propping him up. The vampire moved so fast that it just looked like the other boy had casual thrown his arm around Michael. “Everything is fine,” he struggled to speak, willing himself not to change, “I just needed some time, okay?” Sam looked at him, distress written across his face. The smell of fear mixed with the scent of blood. Fuck, he had to get away.

Paul knelt down, giving the younger boy an amused look, “Listen kid, we gotta go. We’ll make sure your big bro calls you soon.” He issued a two-finger salute, and the boys led Michael away into the darkness.

Sam stayed rooted to the spot, confused as to what he had just seen. What had they done to his brother? What was wrong with him? He looked up again, but he had already lost sight of the boys.

__

The bloodlust died down a little once the boys had crowded around Michael and moved him further away from the kid. Michael sighed miserably, “What the fuck am I doing?” He wondered aloud. He had gotten so caught up in whatever this was that he had forgotten about his family, forgotten that they would be worried about him. And he was pretty sure that he had really, really wanted to eat his little brother. Had barely stopped himself from chowing down.

Dwayne and Marko exchanged a worried look as David led the boys further away from the crowd. They arranged themselves around an empty bench, letting Michael sit down to recover himself. Dwayne leaned against the boardwalk railing, gazing up at the sky. David stuck close to Michael’s side, while Paul sprawled out on the rest of the bench, pulling out a joint. Marko bounced his weight back and forth anxiously, chewing on his glove as he watched the halfling.

“I could have killed him,” Michael said flatly, producing the words, tasting and turning them in his mouth. He was a monster.

“You’re just hungry, Michael.” David chucked, a look of satisfaction lighting up his features, “Growing boy’s gotta eat!”

“I could have killed him,” he repeated, ignoring David, “and I almost didn’t care.” He paused, staring out at the ocean, watching the waves crash relentlessly against the shore. “After I change,” he started, “if I kill, I mean, will I care? Will I… _want_ to eat Sam? My Mom?” Michael asked, nightmarish scenes flooding through his mind, horrible and, at the same time, distressingly appealing.

David sighed. “You might,” he said honestly. “Probably should, make things nice and simple. Could be fun,” he added, glancing at Marko and Paul, remembering how much pleasure each had taken in killing their human fathers. Paul’s kill had been really sadistic and drawn out, he used to have such a flair for the dramatic. Marko’s had been fast and brutal.

Michael shuddered, repulsed. He didn’t want to feed, but he didn't see how he had much of a choice. He also didn't really want to leave the boys, leave David. The idea that he might hurt his family, though, it was too much. “They’re my family,” he protested weakly, willing that statement to matter, willing himself to remember how close they were, how much they meant to him.

A flash of anger crossed David’s face. The biker paused, letting his features smooth over, his face soft and calm again. “We’re your family now,” he said, his voice dangerous.

David’s words washed over him. Part of him trusted the vampire implicitly, absolutely, knew that what he was saying was true, was the only important truth. Another part of him, weaker but tenacious, screamed at him that this was his last chance, that he had to do anything he could to escape, to stop this nightmare from coming true, even if it meant offing himself. He wondered, desperately, if he could go through with it, just end things.

“Not gonna happen,” David snapped, possessively, picking up on his train of thought. “Look,” he relented, “if it makes you feel better, I won’t let you. We can make sure your little ‘family,’” he sneered at the word, “are left alone.” He weighed his words carefully. “Michael,” he said, “if you’re worried about them, the best thing you can do is listen to me. If you run…well, I doubt they’ll have a chance when the hunger becomes too much. You would have eaten poor Sammy tonight, if we hadn’t been there to calm you, to hold you back. And I don’t think you really want to die, don’t think you’d actually go through with it, not now.”

Michael could feel the truth of it in his bones. He sighed, resigning himself to what was coming next. At least Lucy and Sam would be safe. He was distantly sure that just a few days ago that would have mattered to him, that he would have really cared.


	6. We must bleed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael finally gives in; the boys get some sleep.

As they made their way down the boardwalk, Michael’s mood started to lift, his despondency fading into the night. The air was crystal clear, scented with salt and jasmine, humming with life. His worries, his qualms were drifting away as he kept pace with the boys. He could feel the excitement of the others, a charged current of anticipation that flowed back and forth between them. David pulled him close, throwing a gloved hand around his shoulder, “It’s gonna be a good night!”

They kept walking into the dark, the sounds of the busy stretch of the boardwalk falling away into the distance as they reached the outskirts of Santa Clara. Michael wondered idly where they were headed.

“Almost there,” David replied, clearly reading his mind again. Paul and Marko giggled, sharing some private joke. Dwayne elbowed them pointedly, but he was smiling too.

They approached a dive bar, moving more quietly now, slinking in the shadows. There was a couple making out in the dark alley behind the bar. A big, beefy guy, dressed for “date night,” reeking of shitty cologne. The girl was heavily made-up, hair teased about five inches into the air. They were so caught up in their heavy petting session that they didn’t notice that they had company.

“Hear that?” David cocked his head to the side, catching Michael’s eye and nodding at the distracted couple.

Marko scrunched up his face, “ _Gross, breeders!”_

Paul laughed, Marko was so young, still had so many hang-ups left from his brief stint as a hamburger.

Dwayne shook his head slightly, “ _Keep quiet.”_

Michael followed David’s gaze, letting his senses take in the scene, he could hear the thrum of blood that ran under the noisy sounds of the couple, could hear it speeding up with their intensifying arousal. He was fascinated, captivated by the sound, by the rich smell that had bloomed as soon as he turned his mind to the pair. He nodded, “Yeah.”

“Smells good, doesn’t it,” David pressed. Michael closed his eyes, letting the intoxicating smell wash over him, picking out the sound of the two distinct heartbeats, strong and quick compared to his own slowing one. His awareness of their blood filled his mind, crowding out any other thought. He could feel Dwayne, Paul, and Marko watching him intently, excited, waiting to welcome him into the fold. “You know what to do, Michael,” David’s voice was close, at his ear, “Do it. Now.”

A scream burst through the hush of the night. The man looked up to see a snarling, monstrous face where his date had been. Glowing yellow eyes met his own as a hand crushed over his mouth, quickly silencing his scream, before the creature plunged forward, tearing into his throat.

Michael felt the man’s skin break easily as he bit down, blood gushing forth into his mouth. He felt power coursing through his body, electrifying every muscle. He easily held down a man almost twice his size. The man was struggling as Michael pinned him against the wall and drank. As soon as the blood touched his lips, he was out of his mind with ecstasy, it was like the world had been black and white and he was seeing in color for the first time. He bit and tore at his prey, trying to open him up deeper, to make the blood come faster. Wave after wave of pleasure broke over him. The blood was dosed with a delicious mixture of sex and fear, he couldn’t get enough of it. He was clawing at the man’s body, he wanted to break it, to get inside; the man was beyond screaming, beyond struggling. Michael drank deeply, getting frustrated as the man’s pulse slowed down to a drip. His hand had plunged into the man’s chest, he was squeezing his heart, trying to get more.

David took in the scene with dark glee. Every inch of his body taut with excitement as he watched his halfling make his first kill. It was so messy, so brutal. He had been right about Michael: he was made for this. Blood coated the boy’s face as he tore viciously into the man’s throat. David could feel the pleasure consuming Michael, turning him inside out, completing the change. He felt the last drop of the boy’s humanity drain away as the man’s heart stopped, the kill complete. The others were equally rapturous. Paul and Marko practically seethed with excitement, clutching mindlessly at each other as they watched Michael being reborn. Even Dwayne smiled as he held on firmly to the woman, who had tried to escape. Only her whimpering broke the unholy silence of the moment.

Michael licked at the stilling body, starting to lose interest. A woman’s cries were echoing in his head now, how had he not heard that before? He turned, smelling pure, unadulterated fear in her blood. He prowled towards the human. She was still struggling but the fight had left her. When he neared, her eyes flashed in renewed panic. The creature she saw in front of her hardly looked human, its face was twisted into a horrible mask, the brow cresting downwards, throwing glowing eyes into shadow. Its cheekbones sharp and predatory, teeth elongated and pointed dangerously. Blood coated its face, was matted in its hair, dripped down over its jacket, covered its hands. It leaned in close to her neck, taking a deep sniff and tracing her jugular with a gruesome claw. A mockery of a smile distorted its face as it slit her throat, letting blood spill. In an instant, it was on her, lapping up the blood and then plunging its fangs in deep. An excruciating burst of pain ripped through her, and that was the last thing she felt.

The boys watched as Michael toyed with the second human, faces transformed with excitement. Paul let out a low whistle, “ _Damn, he catches on quick!”_

Marko’s eyes were wide, awe-struck _._ For once, the younger vampire didn’t have a single stupid joke to make.

David gloated, “ _What did I tell you boys?”_ He finally tore his eyes away from their new brother, exchanging a look with Dwayne, who was also grinning. There was nothing left to say.

When the woman’s heart let out, Michael let her drop. He felt fantastic. The blood thrummed in his veins, rich and alive. All of the doubt and misgivings that had been weighing on him, all his fear, were simply gone. He felt light, felt totally free. He glanced at the body at his feet, feeling nothing at all. He turned to his new brothers, his eyes filling with wordless recognition.

“Well done, Michael.” David broke the silence, “I knew you’d love it.” Marko grinned at him gleefully, his expression totally open. Paul grabbed him, spinning him around in an excited circle as he whistled again. And then the floor dropped out, and he collapsed.

__

 _“Michael.”_ A voice echoed in his mind. David? “ _Yes, I’m right here, we’re all here with you.”_ A terrible pain ripped through his body, he started to spasm. What was happening? “ _Your human body is dying.”_ He could feel David’s hand on his shoulder, an island of comfort in the ocean of searing pain that was consuming him. “ _Nothing to worry about, happens to everyone.”_ He spasmed again, he couldn’t breathe, he felt like he was suffocating as the world darkened, narrowed to almost nothing. His breathe came harder and faster as his heart raced, he thought his chest would explode. Throughout the agony, David’s touch remained, as did the quiet presence of the other boys, steady even as the world contracted and then burst. A final death throe rattled his chest, filling him with terror, leaving him still. His heart stopped. After an endless minute, Michael’s eyes flew open and he let out a sharp gasp. And then he ceased breathing.

The boys were crowded around him. When he opened his eyes, he saw their faces anew, felt a pulse of connection as they stared down, regarding their brother. Michael's eyes were golden, shorn of guilt, of humanity, of everything that had stood between them.

It was Dwayne that reached out first, drawing him close. The vampire paused meaningfully and then began to lick at his face, lapping up the blood that coated his features. Dwayne’s tongue traced the new contours of his bone structure, sucked on his fingers one by one, cleaning him off. Michael let the other vampire lick up the blood of his first kills, losing himself in the comforting closeness of the gesture. He shut his eyes, he could sense each of his brothers, feel their emotions, their thoughts, could feel the pack gather around him.

An invigorating race through the night brought them home to the sunken hotel. As they descended into its depths, Michael heard a voice echo in his head, “ _Welcome home, brother.”_ He looked around, confused. That had sounded like David, but he was sure that the other vampire hadn’t spoken. Actually, as he faintly recalled, that wasn’t the first time he had heard the other boy’s voice in his head.

Paul smiled wickedly, pressing into his new brother’s mind, “ _I told you you’d learn all kinds of new tricks. Try it!”_

Michael chuckled and then tried to concentrate, cleared his thoughts and focused on his brothers, attuning himself to them, “ _Like this?”_

It was Dwayne who responded, “ _Got it in one.”_

 _“Wow,”_ a wave of darkness, violence, and blood filled Michael’s imagination, “ _bet this comes in handy!”_

Marko laughed aloud, “ _I like the way you think, brother.”_ Throwing his arm around Michael, he led the new vampire to the couch.

Michael took in the scene as they settled in, feeling totally at peace, all of his worries a distant memory. Marko was resting against him familiarly, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. David was rocking back and forth in his chair, with a smug, triumphant expression on his face. Paul was rummaging around in one of his piles again, while Dwayne had stretched out on the fountain, leaning his head back over the edge, propping his legs up against the fixture. Just like the last time they had gathered in the space, Dwayne hadn’t bothered to summon a human face: his eyes glowed yellow, his predatory bone structure hardened his face, and his lips stretched oddly around the fangs that were hidden in his mouth as he concentrated on picking dried blood from his claws. This time, though, the vampire’s visage felt familiar, not frightening. Michael could easily read his expression, which had previously eluded him: contentment was rolling off the vampire in waves. He noticed Dwayne’s bare feet, which were also changed, shaped into great talons. Michael faintly remembered a former version of himself that would have been filled with revulsion, but currently he was just curious, he looked up with a question on his lips.

 _“Yeah, we all have those,”_ David responded, “ _Don’t usually come out except when we’re about to head up to sleep though.”_ He rolled his eyes, “ _I told ya, Dwayne really doesn’t like to pretend.”_

 _“To sleep?”_ Michael pressed, curiously.

 _“No sweat, it comes real natural,”_ Paul replied, walking over and kicking off his own shoes, stretching his human-looking toes. He had found his prize—some bud, rolling papers, and a handle of whisky—and wandered back over to join the party.

Dwayne glanced up, still pretty much upside down. “ _We will show you the best way to sleep, brother. We are going to take good care of you, you have nothing to fear anymore.”_

Michael smiled at Dwayne’s words, remembering the intimacy they had shared earlier that night. The boy’s aloofness already fading away like a distant memory. He relaxed into the couch, at ease as Marko leaned against his chest threading an arm around his waist. This nonverbal communication thing had come easily. He couldn’t really wrap his head around the talons and sleeping, but he couldn’t bring himself to worry, he had a feeling it would be fine, great maybe. His eyes flashed yellow as he thought back to how amazing it had been to feed. A shadow of hunger flitted through his stomach and he wondered if they were going to eat again tonight.

Marko laughed, clutching his own stomach theatrically, “ _Welcome to the club, Mikey!”_

David grinned, magnanimously, “ _First thing tomorrow, and every night after that.”_

 _“I’ll need to eat every day?”_ He wondered, carefully forming the sentence in his mind.

Dwayne answered. “ _For the first few years, probably. Marko here is still insatiable. You shed the last vestiges of your humanity tonight, but your body is still changing. Actually, you were pretty far gone already, otherwise the final part of the change would have lasted longer, been even more intense, more painful. David tried to make it easier for you.”_

Michael took that in, observed what could only be described as a look of affection on David's face. He turned to Marko, “ _When did you turn?”  
_

Marko looked out into the depths of the cave for a beat before he replied, uncharacteristically serious, “ _It’s been about two years now.”  
_

Paul made his way over to the couch, passing Marko the whisky and leaning back against the other boy’s legs. Marko took a swig and handed it to Michael. Michael gave the bottle a sniff before looking at the other boys suspiciously, “ _No more tests?”_

He was met with uproarious laughter. “ _Nah man,”_ Paul said, “ _you passed with flying colors!”_

 _“Teacher’s pet!”_ Marko giggled, grabbing the bottle back after Michael had taken a healthy sip. He nursed it for a few minutes, before David snatched the handle from his hands.

The boys passed the bottle back and forth until it was empty. Dwayne grinned and tossed a fresh bottle to Paul, who jumped to his feet, leaping up to the top of the fountain, holding it up in a theatrical toast, “To Michael!” The other boys howled in approval. By the time the night had started to fade, many toasts had been made, from higher and higher perches. None of the vampires except Michael had quite managed to become drunk, although a pile of broken glass bottles attested to their effort.

“C’mon,” Marko hauled Michael up, disentangling him from Paul, who was clinging to the pair and singing off-key. David smacked Paul, pushing him towards the door at the far end of the room, and wedged himself under Michael’s other shoulder. New vampires could be such lightweights. Dwayne doused the oil barrel fires and followed the rest of the boys out the back door, going deeper into the subterranean hotel. The pack wound their way through the darkened corridors, floating over a series of cracks and chasms that would stop any human interlopers, until they finally arrived at their destination.

“ _Okay Michael_ ,” David pointed to the ceiling that rose precipitously over the empty room, “ _we’re headed up there_.” Michael looked at him like he was crazy, and then his eyes began to droop. It was becoming almost impossible to keep them open. His body felt both leaden and like it was about to float away. Paul kicked off his shoes in a smooth movement and sailed upwards, disappearing into the darkness. Marko followed, waiting until he was hovering mid-air to drop his shoes down at his brothers like missiles, giggling and trying to catch up with Paul. Dwayne grazed Michael’s head tenderly with a clawed finger, nodding upwards before he disappeared into the cavernous darkness. Michael squinted. It was far, but he could see the boys hanging upside down, their talons attached to some kind of perch. David grinned, tipping his head, “ _You first. Just follow your instincts.”_

Michael was too tired to argue. He kicked off his new boots and felt himself lift upwards. He was too tired to even appreciate how easily the flight came, how miraculous it felt. Pretty soon he had joined his brothers, flipping over and attaching his feet to the pole that cut through the space. He felt his toes shift, becoming long talons that locked securely around the perch. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders, luxuriating in the rich, comforting smell of the roost. David pressed close, the vampire’s distinct scent overtaking his senses as he curved around him. He felt the inexorable pull of sleep, instantly succumbing to a deathly stillness as the sun slowly rose, passed through the sky, and then began to set outside the sheltering walls of the sunken hotel.


	7. Unknown pleasures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys show their new brother the ropes; then they do some stargazing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this got rather gruesome. Happy Halloween, I guess.

When Michael woke up, he felt strange, weightless again. He opened his eyes. He was upside down, hanging about forty feet in the air. He looked around wildly, trying to remember where he was, how on earth had he gotten there? A pair of strong arms wrapped around him, holding him still. “ _Calm down, Michael.”_ It was David. “ _I’ve got you. You’re not gonna fall.”_ He let himself be held, the events of the previous evening coming back to him. Holy shit, he had flown up to the perch, hadn’t even batted an eye, he had been so tired. He felt tired now. No, not tired. Actually, he felt like he had never slept so well. He was hungry. David chuckled softly, “ _Of course you are_.” He loosened his grip, “ _Okay, Michael, just let go and float down. Don’t overthink it.”_ Michael tried to unclench his feet…his talons! They wouldn’t budge. He tried to clear his mind, began to sense his brothers who had already descended. He felt his talons melt away, his toes slip from the perch. At first he just fell, jerking up, trying to right himself, to grab on to the pole that was slipping out of reach. A wave of panic washed over him. “ _Michael,”_ he heard David’s voice again, “ _Just let yourself go.”_ The world slowed down and he felt the air holding him aloft. He stretched, feeling into his limbs, and began a measured descent, circling the ground and landing softly on his toes. He grinned up at David, who was gently floating down beside him. “ _Nicely done,”_ David's eyes flashed. Grabbing their shoes, the pair headed out to the lobby, not much bothering to touch the ground as they traversed the labyrinthine structure of the ruined building. 

“Look who’s finally awake!” Paul teased, tackling Michael to the wall as soon as the new vampire entered the room. Michael growled at the attack, overtaking Paul and pinning him quickly, surprised at the speed of his reflexes—and at Paul’s nerve. Paul started cracking up, letting Michael hold him down without much of a struggle. David rolled his eyes and shoved him away from Michael, leading the boy forward, arm tightening around his shoulders.

“Well, now that you’re gonna live forever,” he turned to Michael, smiling devilishly, “what do you want to do tonight?”

“Let’s eat,” Marko suggested before Michael could respond. He jumped down from the rafters where he had been checking on the flock of pigeons that he kept in the seemingly inhospitable lair. “Hungry, Mikey?”

Dwayne peeled an eye away from the thick paperback that he had buried his face in, rolling his eyes at the younger vampires. Dostoevsky. It was this nonsense that made it hard for him to make much progress with the Russians, immortal or not.

Michael shrugged happily, grinning at his brothers and letting his fangs descend, _“Yeah, I could go for a snack!”_

__

 _“Rule number one,”_ Dwayne explained as the five boys made their way down the boardwalk, “ _no locals.”_

Michael raised his eyebrows, remembering the body count at the bonfire party the previous night.

 _“Most of the time anyway,”_ Dwayne corrected himself.

“Gotta keep the locals on their toes,” David said grandly, smiling up into the star-filled sky, “remind them who we are.” He pulled Marko in close, throwing his arm around the smaller boy as they strode past the busy shops, “Remind them why they should steer clear of us!”

The night was young and they had so much to show their new brother, now that he could fully appreciate it. The boardwalk was teeming with people out to enjoy the weekend: laughter and conversation blared out from the strip’s restaurants, screams of delight could be heard coming from the Ferris wheel, and the ubiquitous bells and mechanical music of the carnival games sounded into the night. But as he took in the scene, all Michael could hear was the deluge of heartbeats and pulses that flowed around him, inflaming the hunger tugging at his stomach. It was hard to really focus on anything but the boys.

Paul grinned, remembering how it felt to be new, “Don’t worry, Mikey, we’ll find you a real good snack. Help you get your sea legs.”

“Yeah,” Marko leaned into David’s casual embrace, “what are you in the mood for? Lotsa yummy options tonight.” He cruised a lanky, black-haired boy that passed by, causing the kid to do a double-take, almost jumping out of his skin when Marko gave him an appreciative wink.

Michael shrugged, “Dunno, is there much of a difference?” He tried to remember his first meal. It had been delicious, but the details were a blur.

Paul waved an arm around in an elaborate gesture, “We’re gonna have to develop your palate!”

“Let’s start with the basics, Michael” David said. “You need to know how to choose a good target. We usually hunt together, but it’s important for you to start to learn what to do on your own too.”

“Okay,” he looked around, interested, “what am I looking for?”

The boys spent the next few hours pointing out potential victims to Michael, explaining how to tell if someone was a local or a tourist. How to know if they were likely to be missed, draw attention. Whether or not they would put up much of a struggle—and how much better it could be if they did. Paul had a real eye for detail, liked to concoct elaborate, twisted scenarios before he went in for the kill. Dwayne tended to favor a more direct method, having little patience for spending any time at all with humans that he was not in the process of eating. The only exception being the novels he was always reading, although those writers tended to be long dead.

The flood of humanity around them began to take shape as Michael learned to see it through new eyes. As he let go of everything that had colored his perceptions as a human, the world came sharply into focus. He felt the emotional spectrum of his old life narrow precipitously, as he began to assume the cold, calculating gaze that all the boys wore. 

“Ahh,” David noticed that Michael’s attention had become fixed, “found something you like?”

Michael let out a distracted hum, focused on a tough-looking guy who had just emerged from a crowded bar. He looked like he was in his late thirties, part of the usual summer crowd, already drunk.

“Ooh, looks like Mikey goes for a challenge!” Paul crowed, excited.

“Friend or foe?” David asked, pausing before he added, “or fuck?”

Michael turned to him quizzically, taking his eyes off the guy for a second.

“Friend means we draw him in, get him really comfortable,” Paul supplied, “and then when he least expects it….Bam!” He jumped up, launching himself against Dwayne’s shoulders to get a little more height.

Marko smiled, “Foe means we pick a fight.” He bit back a laugh, “And fuck, well, I think you can guess what that means.”

“I thought you guys didn’t sleep with food?” Michael looked surprised.

“We usually don’t,” David replied, “isn’t really worth the trouble, kind of a drag really. But sometimes a little variety can be fun. And anyway, that’s not really the point is it? It‘s a good way to draw someone away from the crowd, get them alone.”

 _“Definitely foe,”_ Dwayne decided, “ _he’s itching for a fight anyway, wouldn’t take much to start something.”_

Paul rolled his eyes, “Dwayne always says foe.”

“What do you think, Michael?” David asked.

He shrugged, “Foe, I guess? Seems simplest.”

David looked off into the distance, not really acknowledging the answer. “See anyone else interesting?”

Michael looked around, “What about that one?” He asked, pointing to a pretty girl, about their age. A Jean Seberg type, petite with short dark hair, chain-smoking near one of the beachside motels. She looked bored, like she had been dragged on a family vacation against her will.

Paul gave a low whistle, “Now that's some refined taste!” He ogled the girl, “Probably great in the sack. Real creative.” He gave Dwayne a sidelong glance, “Bet she’d want to read some poetry first, get in the mood, could be a trip.”

“Paul’s a real gentleman,” Marko rolled his eyes. “But you’re barking up the wrong tree,” he giggled, chewing at his glove, “definitely plays for my old team.” 

Michael looked confused, “Your team?"

"She's a lesbian, Michael," David interjected with a smirk, "not that it really matters."

"Oh!" Michael startled, "Really? How do you know?”

 _“Marko’s got a sixth sense for these things,”_ Dwayne observed, adding “ _plus we can read minds.”_

David grinned at Michael, “It takes some time, but you’ll figure it out quickly enough. Once you get the hang of it, you can also mess with them, make them see things.” A sly look crossed his face, “Mind games. You know, make someone see worms instead of noodles.”

Michael groaned, “Shit, man, that was so fucked up.”

“Had to make sure you didn’t scare too easy,” David shrugged, unabashed, “this isn’t the life for someone with a weak stomach.”

“And trick me into drinking your blood.” He remembered how confused and disoriented the ordeal with Chinese food had left him, didn’t even think twice about the strange taste of the wine they had handed him afterwards.

David grinned, “You complaining? Pretty sure you loved it. Drank it right up, anyway.”

Michael matched his grin, remembering how amazing the vampire's blood had tasted, even when he had still been human, how tantalizing, “No, but I am getting real hungry here. Are we gonna eat soon?”

A group of children and a very harried looking nanny squeezed by them, filling up the air with screaming and whining. Marko watched them go, looking even hungrier than Michael, “Another good option. Little kiddies up past their bedtime!”

Michael looked a little horrified, out of habit more than anything else, “You eat children?” 

Paul laughed evilly, “Oh yeah, it’s the best. Bite-sized snacks!”

Marko raised his eyebrows at Michael, “Food’s food, get over it.” He frowned, “Usually not a good idea though, attracts too many questions.”

“Enough!” David clapped his hands together. He had to get this show on the road, Michael would need to eat something soon. And he didn’t want to freak him out too much; some things were better left until a vampire was a little older, humanity a more distant memory. “See those guys?” He pointed to a couple of drifters loitering a few yards away. “We’re gonna go the friend route, take ’em down to the beach.”

David turned on his heel and strode away, confident that his pack would quickly fall in line behind him. With a little extra charm, he quickly convinced the drifters to join them on the beach for a smoke. After about five minutes of passing one of Paul’s stronger joints around, David abruptly shoved the nearest guy at Michael with a fanged smile, “Enjoy!” Michael transformed instantly, making quick work of the guy. Dwayne and Paul shared one of the others, while Marko ripped into the third with his usual gusto, leaving him in shreds by the time he had finished drinking.

__

The five boys laid out on the sand after they had finished, enjoying the high that lingered from the drifters’ blood.

“That hit the spot,” Michael watched the stars re-arrange themselves in the sky above them. He had been hungrier than he realized, but it had been so easy, none of the drama that had accompanied his first kill. He barely gave it another thought as he gazed, stoned, into the night.

Marko sighed dramatically, rolling over, “Yeah, man, I was starving!”

“Well, we can’t have that, can we?” David said indulgently. “In fact, I’m still feeling a bit snacky,” he gave Dwayne and Paul a nod, “why don’t you grab us some dessert?”

Paul grinned crookedly, hoisting himself up with Dwayne’s help, and the pair headed out back towards the boardwalk.

Marko turned to look at Michael, “So how’re you feeling, Mikey?” He was sucking at his lips, still savoring the trace of their recent meal.

“Pretty good,” he replied, marveling still at the ease of the kill, at how natural it had felt. He could still feel the drifter’s blood running through his body. He felt powerful, full of energy.

“Yeah,” Marko grinned, pushing himself up and looking over at David. David gave him a subtle nod, and then Marko was crawling on top of Michael, “nothing quite like it.”

Michael was a little surprised to find Marko straddling him. It felt good though, his blood buzzed, stirred with the proximity of the other vampire. He found himself entranced by the predatory shape of Marko's face, it was almost beautiful to him now. With a mischievous smile Marko dipped his head down. He giggled, nudging his nose against Michael’s cheek, “It’s real fun, yeah? Feels good.” Marko’s tongue pressed against his chin, tasting at the blood that was staining his face from the kill. With a hum, Marko reached down, drawing Michael’s arms over his head, and then began to lap at his face in earnest. Michael felt his mind go blank as he instinctually pressed up to meet Marko’s mouth, trembling at the sensation of the other boy’s tongue. He moaned a little as the other boy drew a claw gracefully down his arm, adding a twinge of pain into the mix. Marko continued his ministrations until all of the blood had been lapped up, leaving Michael feverish, panting. After a while, Marko let go of Michael’s hands and lifted himself up to look at the new vampire, biting his lip back with delight as he admired the other boy's worked up state.

“Looks like dessert is here, boys.” David was giving them an amused look. He had briefly disappeared to dump the bodies out in the ocean after emptying their pockets, but had returned in time to watch the display.

Marko leaned in, whispering, “C’mon, let’s have some more fun.” He pulled the other boy up, laughing and grabbing a rag from his pocket to wipe off his own face. Good thing it was pretty dark on the beach. Michael ran his hands through his hair as he watched Dwayne and Paul approach with two girls in tow. He tried to collect himself, but he felt wild, subject to an unconstrained desire that pulsed, vibrated under his skin. Marko nudged him, "Don't forget to put on your game face, Mikey." Michael felt a twinge of embarrassment, realizing that he was still transformed. He forced his features to smooth out, reluctantly let his fangs retract. 

“Found something real good to drink, boys!” Paul called out, cackling, a girl in one arm and a bottle of cheap champagne in the other.

“My favorite,” David practically cooed, rising up to approach the girl at Dwayne’s side, drawing a gloved hand up the side of her face. “Aren’t you pretty, sweetheart.” In the dark, his calculating gaze could be mistaken for something more seductive. 

The girl blushed, leaning into the touch. Dwayne rolled his eyes appreciatively and settled down next to Marko on the sand. Paul tugged the hand of his “date,” bringing her to sit down near the boys. He passed Dwayne the bottle of champagne before drawing the girl into his arms, covering her with kisses, running his hands up and down her body enthusiastically. Michael was almost grateful that neither girl paid much attention to him, he was still reeling, teetering on the edge of arousal. He fought to retain his human facade as his brothers flirted with the two unsuspecting girls.

“Okay ladies,” David’s voice boomed over the sound of the nearby waves, “ready to have some fun?” Dwayne dislodged the cork from the bottle with a loud pop and the boys’ laughter echoed into the night as the champagne overflowed. “Drink up!” David made an extravagant gesture, a vicious smile playing on his lips as he thrust the girl on his arm towards Marko.

Within seconds, Marko had fastened onto her, sending spurts of blood into the air. Paul plunged his fangs into the other girl’s breast, offering her neck to Dwayne.

David held Michael back, curling an arm tightly around his shoulders as they watched the others feed. “Take it in, Michael!” David’s eyes gleamed as he held the new vampire close. He passed him the bottle and Michael tilted his head back and took a gulp, feeling the fizziness on his tongue. Michael watched as Paul and Dwayne drank together, captivated by the look of bliss that overtook Dwane’s face as he drank steadily, brutally from his prey. Watched as Paul eagerly lapped at the girl’s chest, chasing the blood as it flowed over her body. Marko was already covered in blood again, his face pressed into the wound at the other girl’s neck, his claws plunged into her body. He rocked against her, digging deeper with fiendish exuberance, as if he wasn’t already gorged on the blood of his first meal. Michael felt himself becoming overwhelmed again, the smell of blood overtaking his senses, pushing him over the edge. David pressed the bottle back into his hands. Michael took another swig, unable to tear his eyes away, amazed that he had once found a similar scene so abhorrent. David tightened his arm around the new vampire, “It’s a thing of beauty, isn’t it?”

David finally released his grip on Michael as the boys finished their meal, nodding towards the other vampires. Michael felt himself drawn to them, felt himself sink down to press his face into Paul’s neck. He took in the scent of the blood that covered his brother’s face and began to lap it up, his instincts taking over, eliciting a satisfied sound from Paul. Encouraged, Michael applied himself to the task, chasing every drop of blood, losing himself in the taste of his brother's skin. David had gone to help Dwayne with Marko. The two older vampires had Marko moaning uninhibitedly within minutes as they drank up the blood spilled during his frenzy; Marko was such a messy eater.

Baptized, Marko crawled over to Michael and Paul with a hungry look in his eyes. With a practiced hand, Marko unzipped Paul’s pants, freeing his length. Paul was already hard, worked up by the foreplay with his meal, by Michael’s attentions. Marko shuddered for a second, forcing his fangs to recede and his face to return to its human guise. Then he took Paul into his mouth, closing his eyes reverently. He was enthusiastic and efficient, and soon Paul was moaning, grabbing at Michael’s shoulders and pressing his head desperately into his chest. Michael shivered as Marko took Paul deeper, fascinated by the way the younger vampire abandoned himself to the task, by the eagerness with which he reduced himself to pleasuring the other vampire. Soon Paul was convulsing against Michael as he released into Marko’s mouth. After a while, Marko sat back and gave Michael a keen look as he wiped off his chin on his sleeve. David handed over the champagne that he and Dwayne had been sharing while the other boys were distracted. Marko polished it off with a smug grin and then hurled the bottle into the ocean.

“So who’s on clean-up duty?” Paul roused himself, looking around with an innocent expression at the corpses piled around them.

“That’d be you, Paulie,” David grinned. 

__

There were still a few hours before daybreak.

 _“Want to see something spectacular?”_ Dwayne turned to Michael with a question in his eyes.

Michael nodded, up for anything.

David looked at Dwayne, surprised. Then he turned to Michael, “ _You’re gonna have to fly with me_ , since _you’re still getting the hang of it, and if I’m right about what Dwayne has in mind, well, that’s a little advanced.”_ He rubbed his hands together, _“Alright boys, let’s grab our bikes and get away from the boardwalk first.”_

The boys rode their bikes out to near the old hotel. Once they had all dismounted and stashed them, David approached Michael, “ _Ready_?” He hooked an arm around the other boy, pressing them close. For a second Michael felt a little silly, then he leaned into the embrace, a feeling of calm and safety overcoming him. They shot upwards quickly, soaring into the open air. It was nothing like the little controlled ascent and descent that he had used to get up to their perch for sleep the night before. The earth dropped away precipitously as they passed through layers of clouds, clearing miles within a few minutes. He could hear Marko and Paul’s gleeful cries in the distance, the two vampires swooping and circling in the night sky. By the time they approached their destination, Michael had lost track of time, overwhelmed by the elation of flight and by the intensity of his nearness to David. They were up in the mountains, far in from the coast, near the very top of a particularly foreboding peak. The boys landed on the rock’s face, laughing euphorically as they tumbled down. It was the kind of place that was almost impossible to reach by foot.

After a minute, Dwayne wrapped an arm around Michael, directing his attention to the sky, “ _Look up, brother.”_ The night sky looked different, high up away from the city like this. His vision extended far beyond human abilities now, telescoping into the universe. Dwayne looked into the distance, “ _It’s been the same view from here for hundreds of years.”_

The boys remained silent, watching planets flicker and shooting stars zigzag across the sky until David declared that it was time to head home.


	8. You'll learn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marko plays his favorite game; Michael learns a new trick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, finally, here is the vicious little plot bunny that inspired this fic.

Michael was huddled with David and Dwayne outside a roadside diner on the highway, a few towns over from Santa Carla, watching the two other vampires seated inside. Michael cocked his head to the side, “Remind me again what we’re doing here?” He shot an impatient glance a David, hunger curling in his stomach. Dwayne smiled, putting a finger to his lips, fangs jutting out monstrously to either side. Michael sighed, gathering the words in his mind, “ _But why aren’t we just eating someone?”_ David turned, amused, “ _Patience, Michael. Food tastes better if you play with it first, and this is Marko’s favorite game. Watch and learn.”_ The three turned back to the scene playing out in the diner.

The harsh artificial lights of the diner didn’t really do much for either Marko or Paul’s pale complexions. The boys sat side by side in a booth, waiting for the waitress as Paul flipped through the dinky jukebox attached to the table. Paul leaned back, groaning, “The music selection here sucks!” Marco rolled his eyes, staring intently at the patrons of the dive, wondering how many of these assholes would end up dinner. It all depended on if they took the easy way or the hard way. He sighed. They always chose the hard way. Oh well, no point turning up his nose at a feast. More fun this way, really.

Propping up his head on his arm, he turned to Paul flirtatiously, “So whatcha gonna have, hot stuff?”

“Oh, I dunno…” Paul grinned, looking up from the jukebox, leaning in, “ _How’s the game looking?”_

Marko let his eyes close for a second, then opened them again, flashing gold, “ _Lots of contenders, never changes.”_

Paul’s smile turned bloodthirsty, “ _I’m so hungry I could eat one of everything on the menu.”_

Their silent conversation was interrupted by the arrival of a waitress, who handed a pair of shiny, oversized menus to the boys, bored, “What’ll it be darlings?” Marko could smell her cheap lipstick, the layer of powder coating her face.

“Oh,” said Marko, letting his voice rise effeminately, “I’ll have a coffee, milk two sugars, and this one will take his coffee as black as the night.” He gave Paul a conspiratorial wink, letting his hand drift over the other boy’s leather jacket.

Paul bit back a giggle as the waitress stared at them warily, “That be all boys?”

Marko smiled indulgently at Paul, before turning back to her, “Let’s see if he can work up an appetite!”

As she headed back to the kitchen, a trucker seated at the counter leered at the two boys, glancing around to see if anyone else had noticed them.

Marko decided to up the ante, reaching up to curl his hand over Paul’s jaw, rubbing up and down gently. A haunted look passed over his face after a moment. “You know,” he whispered, voice pitched lower now, “You really are so beautiful. Thought so the first time I saw you.”

Paul looked intently at Marko, it was pretty rare for him to take such a serious tone these days, rarer still for him to talk about his life before becoming a vampire. He frowned a little as he recalled their first meeting. Marko had been half dead, a Jackson Pollock of blood and bruises. He traced a hand down the boy’s ridiculous jacket. Even with the virus ravaging his body, Marko had been all piss and vinegar, snarling, ready to take the whole world down with him. His frown disappeared, warmth flooding his face as he recalled the instant that he and Dwayne had recognized Marko for what he was, what he would be.

“Fucking queers,” the man at the counter spat out under his breath, glaring at this display.

 _“Ahh,”_ Marko glanced around imperceptibly, pretending not to have heard, “ _playtime.”_

The other patrons looked over at the man, at the two boys. A group of teenage girls seated at a nearby table started whispering furiously, taking turns sneaking a peek at them and giggling. A woman, seated with her husband and a terror of a little kid, glared at them, pulling the boy in close. A young couple at the counter studiously avoided the scene, trying to continue their inane conversation. The man swallowed angrily; he hadn’t worked so hard to get Tina’s number for a couple of faggots to ruin his plans for the night.

 _“So,”_ David interrupted Marko’s cataloguing of the diner’s inhabitants, “ _it’ll the fun way tonight?”_

Marko grinned, “ _Come and get ‘em, boys”._

All eyes were on the two blondes as Paul plucked an imaginary eyelash from Marko’s cheek with uncharacteristic gentleness, rearranged a stray curl falling over his eye, and leaned in, pressing their lips together. For all the boys messed around with one another, kissing wasn’t usually on the menu. Marko leaned into the kiss, running his fingers through Paul’s wild mane of hair, pulling him closer, almost purring as he sensed the barely repressed violence that lay just under the softness of the other boy’s lips. Nobody noticed as three leather-clad bikers silently entered the diner, jammed up the locking mechanism on the door, and slid into a nearby booth. David concentrated his mind on making sure no one would try to enter the dive, or even take notice of the scene that would soon be visible through the glass windows wrapping around the building.

The uneasy silence that had fallen over the diner at the spectacle of the boys’ kiss erupted, as the trucker slammed down his mug, making the silverware on the counter jump, “Gonna teach you not to pull that queer shit in here!” He spat, advancing toward the boys, gesturing towards the family, “And in front of children, you perverts!”

Marko let himself be grabbed by the collar, the man pulling him up from the booth, pressing him against the wall.

Michael felt his blood run cold, his whole being instantly focused on Marko. David shook his head, “ _Not yet.”_ Michael bristled, his instincts going into overdrive, he had to protect his brother. “ _Soon,”_ the older vampire placed a comforting hand on his back.

Marko grinned wildly at his assailant, egging him on. The man took his first swing, his fist meeting Marko’s face, drawing blood. Michael’s nostrils flared as he struggled to stay put. He could feel the anger radiating in waves from Dwayne and David, despite the bored, distant look that they affected. The man shoved Marko again, dropping him and looking down at his fists, “Now I got your disgusting faggot blood all over me.” He backed up, ready to kick Marko, looking around wildly for a weapon of some kind, itching to apply some blunt force.

Before he could land another blow, Marko raised his head, eyes burning yellow, fangs bared, bloodied face shifted into its predatory shape, and started laughing manically. He pounced on the man, knocking him over, and gleefully shredded his clothing, sinking his claws into his chest. Licking a stripe over the man’s neck, he cradled his head, holding him close and savoring the overpowering smell of fear and revulsion before tearing open his throat in one fell swoop.

The clique of girls, crying and screaming, tried to run, tripping over one another, the waitress ducked under the counter, the man pushed his wife and child under the table and puffed up his chest protectively, the young man shoved his date away, making a beeline for the door, where Dwayne was waiting for him.

“No one is going anywhere,” David stood up, voice calm and authoritative. He gave the boys a slight nod, and all hell broke loose.

Within about three minutes, no one was left alive. Blood, guts, and torn limbs littered the floor. Paul was rifling around, picking through pockets for money, drugs, souvenirs, dumping out each of the girl’s purses for treasure to add to the collection in the hotel fountain. Michael had fallen against David, drunk with all the blood he had gorged himself on, his growing appetite making for cruel efficiency. Marko was lounging on the counter, covered in gore. He grinned inhumanly as he began to lick the blood from his hands, tasting it happily and stretching out. _“They always choose the hard way,”_ he picked a bit of flesh from his teeth, letting out a pleased sigh, “ _too bad for them.”_

After dousing the diner in alcohol and tossing a match, the boys headed out.

__

Sated after the bloodbath at the diner, Michael took in the late-night scene at the boardwalk. He felt powerful, took pleasure in the knowledge that what they were, what they had just done, remained secret. They could do whatever they wanted and nobody was the wiser. There weren’t many people still walking around, but the few who did appear gave the boys a wide berth. Marko and Paul were passing a flask back and forth cracking jokes about the passersby, while Dwayne simply glowered at anyone who got too close.

David lit a cigarette, “ _What did you think of our little game, Michael?”_

Michael looked thoughtful. He’d had a pretty good time, despite his initial impatience. A shadow crossed his mind. He had racked up quite a body count at the diner, was still a little surprised at how quickly it was coming, how automatically. How fun. So much for his humanity.

David followed his line of thought, “ _Knew you had a killer instinct.”_ He smiled remorselessly, taking a slow drag, _“Tastes better when you draw it out, play a little, doesn’t it?”_

Michael looked at David, “ _I mean I was hungry, but it was more than that, wasn’t it? When that guy hit Marko.”_ He clenched his fists, instantly angry again.

Marko snapped his head over towards David and Michael, laughing and blowing them an imaginary kiss, “Didn’t know you cared, Mikey!” 

_“You’re pack now,”_ David looked up at the stars. “ _The turn, it isn’t just,”_ he paused, trying to find the words, “ _You’re not human anymore, Michael, we’re different in just about every way.”_ He stubbed out his cigarette. “ _You’ll learn.”_ He turned to the other boy, holding his gaze for what felt like an eternity.

__

The boys were lounging in the lobby. Paul had stolen some tapes from a car they had attacked a few nights before and was testing them out in the boombox stashed by the couch. It was a pain in the ass, not having electricity. They went through batteries like candy.

Michael had grabbed a bucketful of broken trinkets and other bits and pieces from the fountain and was trying to toss them back in from across the room. So far had only missed once. He was thinking about his conversation with Paul, back before he had finished turning.

 _"So,"_ he started, landing another coin and turning to David, “ _You don’t make additions to the pack very often, right?”_

 _“Nope.”_ David looked at him questioningly.

_“You waited, what, sixty years after Paul? To turn Marko?”_

Marko giggled, “Paulie, you dirty old man!” Paul glared at him from behind the couch, still fiddling with the tapes.

David nodded.

_“And before that?”_

David and Dwayne exchanged a dark look.

 _“A long time.”_ David didn’t offer any more information.

Michael threw a broken ring into the fountain, bouncing it off the structure’s center. He decided not to press the issue. “ _So why me? So soon after Marko?”_

“Ding, dong! Ding, dong! Daddy’s dead!” Marko sang out, scooting over to Michael and grabbing a handful of glittering junk from the bucket to toss in the air like confetti.

Michael ducked, not managing to avoid the shower. He pegged Marko with a set of keys that had landed on his lap, causing the other vampire to dive under the couch where Paul was now lounging, grabbing the other boy’s legs on his way under. Paul kicked at Marko, wriggling out of his grip, “You little imp!” He repositioned himself and then took a pull from his joint. After a few seconds, Marko crawled up to rest his head on Paul’s lap, grabbing the joint for himself and throwing his legs up over the back of the couch.

David leaned back in his chair. “ _Max, my maker,”_ he sneered, “ _the former, uh, head vampire, bit the dust right before you arrived in town. Good riddance.”_ He lit a cigarette, deciding how much to tell. “ _Old man was pretty cool once, but that was a long time ago.”_ He took a drag, “ _Real long time ago. But then he got it in his head that we should be a little family, wanted to play human.”_

At the word “family,” Marko gagged, rolling his eyes. He had hated Max’s delusions of humanity almost as much as Dwayne did.

 _“Was obsessed,”_ David continued, “ _white picket fence and all, the idiot. Went around trying to find us a Mommy, wanted to turn a little kid, complete the set.”_ David’s face twisted in disgust.

 _“Real boner killer,”_ Paul added, “ _no fun at all.”_

 _“He was weak,”_ Dwayne agreed, a look of pure loathing passing over his glowing eyes. “ _We aren’t human, he should have known better.”_

David shrugged. “ _Got what he wanted in the end. Well, what he deserved, anyway,”_ he chuckled _. “Assholes living in wooden houses shouldn’t get in my way. Burnt to a crisp.”_ It had been pretty easy to tip off those vampire hunters with Max’s address.

Michael listened, still not really understanding.

 _“Well, anyway, you got to Santa Clara at just the right moment, and lucky for us you were perfect. We needed to strengthen the pack, make sure we could defend our territory in case anyone got any ideas.”_

_“And with ‘daddy’ gone,”_ Marko added, “ _well, we could do things the right way finally, the way we wanted. No more pretending to be a little family,”_ he scowled again at the very thought.

 _“Don’t worry, we wanted you the second we saw you, Mikey,”_ Paul reassured him with a wink.

Marko hummed in agreement, his hand trailing through Paul’s hair. 

David smiled an enigmatic little smile, sending a thrill down Michael’s spine, “ _Yeah, I knew we had to have you.”_

__

Marko was sulking. Hunting had been a little sparse lately, and his last victim had managed to tear the sleeve right off his favorite jacket. Paul had tried cheering him up, but none of his usual tricks worked. Dive bombing Marko from the ceiling; making fun of his pigeons, by name; pelting him with broken cassette tapes. Nothing seemed to break the boy’s bad mood.

Paul slumped against Dwayne, who was still trying to read _Crime and Punishment._ “I give up!”

 _“Give up somewhere else, I’m reading.”_ Dwayne glared at him.

Paul drew himself up, insulted. “I wonder where David’s gone off to, probably somewhere fun.” He complained, as he took flight out the hotel’s entrance, grumbling about scaring up a meal with some tits.

Michael watched the exchange from the couch. He was also feeling restless. It felt odd to be away from David. The other vampire had been a pretty constant presence since his turn. Every night, he found himself perched next to him, waking up pressed into his chest, breathing in his scent. He knew his human self would have found the arrangement strange, but it felt right. He couldn’t really bring himself to worry about it. After all, he was sleeping all day, upside down, hanging by a set of talons, forty feet in the air. The very male body that curved around him while he slept the sleep of the dead, well that was probably the least abnormal thing about the whole situation. He thought back to how conflicted he had been when they first met, how guilty he had felt about his attraction to David, about the interest he sometimes showed in men, despite his well-earned reputation as a ladies’ man. Humans were pretty stupid, he decided, wondering once again at how quickly he had taken to the change, the ease that he felt with all the aspects of his nature that he was discovering.

 _“Enough,”_ Dwayne slammed his book down. He was actually reading in Russian, Michael noticed. “ _You two are both thinking way too loud, I can’t concentrate.”_

Marko glared at him.

Dwayne rolled his eyes. Before Marko knew what was happening, the older vampire had launched himself at him, rolling them both onto the ground. He growled, holding him down, fangs bared, dark hair curtained over the boy’s face. Marko looked up at him, surprised, before letting his face shift and trying to throw the other boy off. Dwayne could have pinned him in an instant, but he held back, letting the fight go on. When he was on top again, stretched out over the smaller boy, he reached his hand down, checking the hardness tenting Marko’s jeans. He grinned, ripping off the other boy’s pants with a violent swipe and made quick work of his cropped shirt. Marko pressed up eagerly, growling and biting at Dwayne’s neck. The older vampire moved down to lick at Marko’s torso, running claws up his back. The two writhed together letting out a litany of depraved sounds as they rolled around, half fighting still.

Michael watched the other vampires with curiosity, not sure if he should be giving them some privacy. “ _Stay,”_ Dwayne reached out to him, pausing to let his eyes flash up towards the other boy, “ _join us_.” Marko’s mind was less coherent, but Michael could sense an invitation. He made his way over, the smell of blood and arousal permeating his senses. The two vampires stopped fighting and Marko turned around to face him. He eyed Michael, giving him a defiant look and slowly licked a drop of blood from his extended fangs. As Michael peeled off his shirt, a flash of pure want crossed the other vampire’s face and he reached out to draw Michael close.

 _“Ever suck cock before?”_ Marko abruptly pushed him to his knees and then leaned back, sinking wantonly against Dwayne’s waiting arms. The naked expanse of Marko's skin glowed against the dark figure that Dwayne cut, still fully clothed, well as clothed as he ever was anyway. The older vampire immediately turned his attention to Marko’s neck, causing the boy to moan and roll his hips. 

Michael stared at Marko's erection, eye-level. No, he really hadn’t, had barely let himself imagine it before. A strange feeling took hold of him as he realized how excited he was, realized that he was probably going to really like it. He pressed his nose in, inhaling the scent, mouth starting to water as he imagined its weight, its shape on his tongue. With a shiver he remembered how shamelessly Marko had sought out Paul's cock that night on the beach, how debauched he had looked sucking him off. Michael willed himself not to change, probably not a great idea to get fangs involved given his lack of experience. 

He started with an experimental lick, and then he flattened his tongue, licking up slowly, savoring the feeling as Marko let out another moan. He could almost feel the other boy’s arousal in his own blood. Shit, this was amazing. Steadying himself on Marko’s thigh, he took the boy’s length into his mouth and hollowed out his cheeks to suck. Marko moaned again, abandoning himself as Dwayne sucked roughly at his neck, covering it with bruises, bringing the blood to the surface, and Michael took him deeper and deeper. Michael gagged a little as they got a rhythm going, causing Dwayne to shoot a glance down at him, eyebrow raised, “ _Stop thinking that you need to breathe, you don’t.”_ He felt himself getting hard as he focused on drawing out Marko's pleasure, vaguely noticing that the vampire's skin no longer felt cold to him. By the time Marko started to come, Michael had lost himself in the motion, eyes shut, cheeks hollow, taking it deep in his throat. He swallowed as Marko released, nearly gagging again before he remembered not to breathe. He looked up, dazed, as the other boy cried out with Dwayne’s fangs embedded in his neck.

Michael felt himself being pulled up. Dwayne leaned in and licked the come dripping from the corner of his mouth, his own chin still covered in blood. Marko, coming back to himself, reached down to Michael’s erection, unzipping his pants and palming him with a dissolute smile, “ _Want you to fuck me, Mikey.”_ How could Marko even keep going, he wondered, eliciting another raised eyebrow from Dwayne. 

He felt his face slide into its natural form, his control breaking. With a growl, he shoved Marko into Dwayne’s arms, roughly turning him around so his face was pressed into the other boy’s chest. Dwayne plunged a blood-covered finger into Marko’s ass, then another, starting to work him open, while the Marko bit into his broad chest, making desperate sounds. Soon Marko was grinding uninhibitedly against Dwayne’s hand, searching for more. Michael was already closer than he had realized; watching Dwayne prepare the other vampire pushed him to the edge, was probably one of the most erotic sights he had ever witnessed. Marko freed his lips from Dwayne’s skin, hissing, “Michael, now.” Too far gone to ask any questions, Michael sank into Marko, shuddering as the other boy arched back in pain. They didn’t usually bother with much in the way of lubrication, the burn was an exquisite prelude to the act, and Marko would begin healing instantly anyway. Michael started fucking him in earnest, speeding up as Marko began to enthusiastically meet his thrusts. Soon Marko's head was thrown back in abandon as he chased Michael’s rhythm, unrestrained, given totally over to sensation. As he drove into him, Michael felt his release coming, rising up with the other boy’s moans. He let go, biting viciously into Marko’s throat, reopening the puncture wounds Dwayne had just left. The blood coursed through him as he spent into Marko, their bodies blurring together in a heady mixture of blood and come.

The three vampires collapsed into a pile of limbs, wordlessly licking each other clean. After a few minutes, Dwayne sliced a claw over his wrist, offering it to Marko. He had really lost a lot of blood. Marko closed his eyes, savoring the scent as he lowered his lips to drink. After he had his fill, he licked the wound to heal it and turned to Michael triumphantly, “ _Knew I could make a cocksucker out of you.”_ With a dissolute smile he tucked himself against Dwayne, who was still boneless with the intensity of the exchange. Michael, drunk on the other vampire’s blood, draped himself over the pair, pressing his nose to Dwayne’s neck and throwing a leg over Marko, where he remained until David and Paul returned to the hotel much later that night.

 _“It reeks of sex and blood in here.”_ David took in the stench with a grin. Paul pouted, wishing he hadn’t missed the fun, but glad to see that his brothers had found a way to cheer Marko up.


	9. No more pretending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David shows Michael what he is; Michael learns to share.

It was a quiet night on the boardwalk. As the sun set, the streetlights clicked on and the lights of the Ferris wheel powered up, glowing in a rainbow of tawdry colors. The boys locked up their bikes and began to prowl the strip. 

As they passed by an ice-cream parlor, Paul snarled playfully at a little boy holding a towering ice-cream cone, eliciting a frightened yelp followed by tears as the strawberry scoop on the top hit the ground. He cackled, turning to Marko and Dwayne, “Wouldn’t say no to some dessert before dinner!”

Marko poked at his stomach, teasing, “I dunno, old man, think you could stand to lose a few pounds, actually.”

Paul shoved him back, sending Marko crashing into Dwayne, who scowled and then knocked the two together.

A display of jewelry caught Michael’s eye. Nodding, David led the boys over to the stand, where they pawed through the cheap baubles. Paul and Marko continued to noisily fight, drawing attention away from the items that Marko was stealthily swiping and shoving into his overstuffed jacket pockets. Distracted by the vampire’s impressive legerdemain, Michael let out an embarrassing yelp as something burned at his elbow. He looked down, realizing that he had brushed into a display of plastic rosaries.

“Spooky,” Paul wiggled his fingers dramatically as he drew out the vowels of the word.

Michael’s eyes widened a bit. Wow, right.

 _“Holy water can be an issue too,”_ Dwayne added helpfully.

 _“And don’t even think about getting married in a church, lover boy.”_ Marko lost it, giggling madly and eliciting a scowl from the teenager manning the booth.

Michael had never been particularly religious, but it hurt a bit to think that he could be so affected. He glared resentfully at the rows of neon crosses, causing Paul to join in the laughter and sling a conspiratorial arm over his shoulder.

 _“Ahh,”_ David turned to look at a group of girls that had just passed by, stopping to do a double-take at the gang of bikers, “ _looks like dinner has arrived.”_

Successfully distracted from his sulk by the mention of food, Michael glanced at the four girls. They were dressed to the nines for a big night out, definitely out-of-towners. He could see a look of fear and fascination mixed on their faces as they stared at the bikers whispering to each other excitedly. He could smell their blood under a mask of sunscreen and perfume, shot through with the faint aroma of tequila.

 _“Tourists!”_ Paul said gleefully, disengaging from Michael to make his way over the girls with a crooked smile. “Ladies,” he leaned in flirtatiously, “welcome to Santa Carla.”

The tallest of the four girls, blonde with bright red lips, tilted her head, “Hey there.” Her friends giggled at Paul, arranging themselves to the best effect.

David sauntered over to the girls with dangerous smile, “Having fun tonight?”

“Dunno, kinda running out of things to do,” the blonde pouted, twisting her hair between her fingers, “not much in the way of night life, is there?”

"Life? No, not so much," Marko said, giggling at his own obscure joke.

Paul wrenched his gaze away from the tall blonde to grin at the younger vampire. 

Her friend, a curly-haired brunette wearing an absurd pink dress, leaned over, “You guys look like you know how to have fun!” She giggled, snapping her gum.

David chuckled, “Ever been on a motorcycle?”

Before long, the four girls had mounted the back of the boy’s bikes and they were speeding out of town. A pale redhead leaned against Michael, holding on tightly as he cut through the foggy night.

 _“Where are we headed?”_ Michael watched the boardwalk fade from view behind them.

 _“Out near the train tracks,”_ David responded, leaning into a curve.

 _“What?”_ Michael asked, “ _I thought they were dinner.”_

_“They are, just thought it could be fun to revisit old haunts.”_

By the time Michael cut his engine, the girl’s heart was racing. Maybe he had driven a little too recklessly. He turned to help her dismount, venturing what he thought was a charming smile, “How’re you feeling, beautiful?” Fuck, she smelled great. The adrenaline running through her blood had an enticing odor, he thought, as his eyes lingered over her low-cut blouse. She shivered a bit, slow to answer. What was wrong with her? Usually girls were all over him, wanted to impress him, to bring him home to their parents.

 _“Try not to look so off-putting,”_ Marko said helpfully.

Michael remembered how distant, how cold, the boys had appeared to him at first. He ran a hand through his hair, wondering, not for the first time, what he looked like now.

 _“You look like you’re about to eat her right up,”_ Paul grinned, ironically. 

_“Gotta put her at ease,”_ Marko added, waggling his eyebrows with a laugh, _“mind games.”_

He sighed and willed himself to look in her eyes, trying to project a gentle image, not really sure how to affect her perception. She gave a tentative, nervous smile as he led her to an outcropping of rocks near the cliff’s edge to join the others. She winced a little when she took his hand, confused by its unnatural chill. 

They flirted lazily with the girls, passing some whisky around. Marko was pointing out the big dipper to his “date,” although he seemed to delight in picking out the wrong stars. Dwayne’s strong, silent act was like catnip to the brunette who had paired off with him, convinced she could draw him out. Paul and the tall blonde had already wandered off, looking for some privacy.

As the contents of the bottle dwindled, David stared off into the distance, remembering their last trip to this spot. His blood had already been pumping through Michael’s body, beginning its to alter it, to bring him closer to them, forging the connection that tugged on him still. Excitement had laced the air as the boys waited to see if Michael would jump, if he was ready to join them. Michael had come so far since then, he thought as he gazed meditatively at the other boy. The predator was so near to the surface, flashed and glinted in the moonlight. There was a sharpness to his skin, already so much paler now. He watched with satisfaction as Michael put his arm around the redhead, leaned in without an ounce of human interest, without anything on his mind but the meal that was waiting for him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the cargo train passing in the night. “ _Okay boys,”_ David swung his legs down from his perch, _“time to eat.”_

In the distance, a high-pitch scream rang out. Paul had gotten the message, hadn’t wasted any time. In the chaos that followed, the boys quickly dispatched the remaining girls. Michael was at the throat of his redhead, ready to tear in, when David approached them. Michael felt himself freeze, eyes trained on his maker, as if waiting for some kind of signal. The girl’s pulse echoed in his head, the smell of fear and blood was overpowering, thrumming through his body. He’d been waiting patiently all night to dig in. David held his stare and reached out for the girl. Michael felt torn, fighting between the all-consuming draw of her blood and the trance-like hold of David’s gaze. After a beat, he pushed the girl into David's arm, not once looking away from his glowing eyes. David smiled and sank his fangs into her throat, drinking slowly, still staring at Michael. Satisfied with the boy’s acquiescence, he tore open her shirt, revealing her chest. “ _Come,”_ he invited Michael to join him. Tearing into the skin below her collarbone, Michael inhaled David’s scent mixed with the aroma of the girl and drank deep. He found himself matching the other vampire’s pace as he fed. Their eyes met again as her heart stopped. Dropping the body, David wound a clawed hand through Michael’s hair _._ Michael stared at him, lost in the blood, glassy-eyed and compliant. David reeled with the power he held over the boy, filling with an ardent desire to take him deeper, to peel back the tattered traces of humanity that still clung, pointlessly, to his mind.

The moment was broken by a loud splash. Paul had dropped his date from the edge of the cliff into the roiling waters below. “Bombs away!” Michael shook himself out of it, watching as Paul careened through the sky, seizing another body from Marko and sending it through the air into a watery grave. “Clean-up crew, reporting for duty,” he flung his arms around Dwayne, spinning, and then collected the mangled remains of his erstwhile admirer. By the time he grabbed the redhead, Michael had come back to himself. Sitting back on his heels, licking his lips, he stared at David, wondering what that exchange had been about. Removing a lighter from his trench pocket, David lit a cigarette, “ _Sometimes, Michael,”_ he took a drag and exhaled, “ _It’s much better to share.”_

__

A few nights later, the boys were lounging in the lobby, fighting over the evening’s plans. Marko wanted to play his favorite game again, whereas Dwayne argued the merits of another car chase. Paul, already high, didn’t really have any useful suggestions, but was amusing himself by fanning the flames of the argument, sowing discord and goading the others on.

David tented his fingers, deep in thought, ignoring the bickering. Michael could tell that the boys were really just killing time, waiting for David to decide which plan they would follow. It was usually pretty subtle, but at the end of the day, what David said, went. He thought back to how little choice he had about taking David’s lead at the bluff when they had shared that meal. Really, he found himself following his cues most of the time without even realizing it, waiting for his signal, automatically looking for his approval before he took action. He felt restless when he wasn’t there; he woke up pressed into him. It was strange. It seemed like it should bother him more, but he found he didn’t much mind.

David roused himself, looking at him intently. “ _Of course you don’t mind, Michael.”_

Michael startled, not having expected the intrusion.

 _“It’s not so bad, is it,”_ David asked, “ _don’t I show you a good time?”_

He nodded, not sure how to respond, thoughts jumbled. He knew that David held some kind of power over him. He had felt drawn to him since they first met, but it was different since he’d changed, deeper, harder to describe.

Dwayne joined the conversation, “ _This is part of being pack, brother. Following David’s lead.”_

 _“Usually works out for the best,”_ Marko added, the argument forgotten.

Paul followed, “ _Much better than Max, trust us.”_

 _“Max was…”_ David twirled his hand in the air, searching for the word.

 _“A patriarchal asshole,”_ Marko supplied.

David chuckled, “ _Yes, Max was a patriarchal asshole. You’re much better off with me. You ever felt so free, Michael? Being pack is liberating, we do whatever we want.”_

He paused, fixing Michael with another intense stare. Perhaps he had been exercising too light a hand with the boy. “ _But you don’t even know what you want, do you? Not really, not yet. You might have lost your humanity, but human habits of mind are harder to shed. You really should drop them though, they hold you back. Stop you from really knowing what you are now, what you are capable of.”_ A sinister grin lit up his face, “ _How much fun you can have.”_

He tented his fingers again, considering. “ _Marko, Paul, go grab us some take-out.”_

Paul issued a two-finger salute and the two boys headed out into the night. Dwayne smirked and then made himself scarce, grabbing a thick paperback and heading deep into the back rooms. 

David lifted himself up from his chair, making his way over to Michael slowly. “ _I think it’s time for a little lesson.”_

 _“I’m your maker, Michael.”_ He moved into his space until they were standing nose to nose, “ _Your master. Do you understand what that means?”_

He gripped Michael’s shoulders, relishing in the shiver that rippled through his strong arms, “ _My blood is in your veins.”_

He stepped back, taking in the boy. He looked shaken but he was making a valiant effort to meet his eyes, not to show fear. Apprehension mingled with curiosity—the exact combination that had made him so appealing in the first place. He could see the conflict playing out in the boy’s mind, clear as day. Still believed he was his own man. But he wasn’t was he, he was _theirs._ He was David’s.

 _“Do you know what you want, Michael?”_ He asked, shifting suddenly into his vampiric form and brushing a claw against the boy’s cheek. “ _Can you tell me what you want?”_

He held him close for a second _,_ strangely gentle, _“I’m going to show you what you are_.” He stepped back, his tone becoming harsh, “ _Now get on your knees.”_

Michael stood, frozen to the spot, eyes darting back and forth as he fought with himself. He sunk to his knees.

 _“Your shirt,”_ David gestured. “ _Off.”_

Michael felt himself pulling his shirt over his head, balling it up and tossing it on the ground. He distantly wondered at the instantaneousness of his body’s response, the mindless ease with which he obeyed David.

 _“Now don’t move_.” David drank him in. The power that rippled, latent, in Michael’s preternatural muscles was intoxicating. The strength, the violence resting just under his skin, his skin that was now ice cold to the touch. He could feel the changes that had taken hold deep within the boy, remade him, cell by cell, wild and dangerous. All of that power held in check by a single order, by the irresistible pull of his master’s will, by his barely understood desire to do what David wanted.

He crouched down, bringing himself eye-level with Michael. Brought a claw to his wrist, drawing a thin line of blood across his skin. Watched as Michael’s eyes flashed yellow, as the scent overtook his senses, drew his attention completely, irresistibly to the wound. Satisfied that the new vampire wasn’t going to drink without permission, he smeared his finger with blood and held it up to Michael’s lips, “ _Go on.”_

Michael took the finger into his mouth, letting out a moan, his eyes closing exquisitely as he sucked down the blood, pulling his tongue over it in search of more, heedless of the sharpness of the claw that scratched and tore the inside of his mouth. This was the first time he had tasted David’s blood since he made his first kill. The difference between the vampire’s blood—his master’s blood, Michael thought, dazed—and that of the humans that they hunted was night and day now, it flooded his very being.

David beamed at him, pleased. “ _Bet you looked good sucking cock.”_

Michael looked up, turning crimson with an automatic, habitual sense of shame. David frowned. “ _Nothing to be ashamed of,”_ he traced a finger across the boy’s lower lip, “ _this is your nature_.” Watching the images that flashed through the boy’s mind, David smiled to himself. This was going to be fun.

He walked away from Michael, shedding his jacket and sitting down on his chair. “ _Now get on your hands and knees and come here.”_ He leaned back imperiously, “ _And for fuck’s sake, drop that ridiculous human mask.”_

Michael lowered himself to the ground, heady with the feeling of David’s blood freshly running through his veins. The thrill of submitting to David’s order ran through him, cutting him to the bone. He felt his hesitation fade away as his skeleton shifted beneath his skin, as fangs filled his mouth, as claws stretched out from his fingers and toes. The ground was hard and damp through his leather pants. The smell was so much more intense. He crawled to his master’s side, waiting for his next order, every cell of his body magnetized with anticipation.

David reached down, drawing his face up. Michael’s world narrowed to the contact between David’s palm and his jaw. 

David pressed into his own wrist again, smearing more blood on his finger to offer the other vampire. Michael lapped at it eagerly, the blood lighting up his senses. He felt everything else fade away as his mind focused on David’s touch, on the movement of his blood beneath his skin, calling to his own, on his simple presence. By the time David removed his finger, he couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything but wait to see if he would be given more. He willed himself not to move, feeling his blood churn desperately against the perfect stillness of his body.

He could sense David’s every movement in his muscles, in his bones, although he knew implicitly not to look up, not to try to meet his gaze. He remained still for what felt like an eternity, waiting, eyes closed.

 _“You look good like this, ready, waiting for me.”_ David delicately sliced a claw up Michael’s torso, then another, marking him. “ _No more pretending.”_ Michael felt his chest inscribed again and again, felt like he was losing track of the outline of his body. David ran his palm through the tangle of lines, smearing blood across his bare chest. Reached up to paint his face with it, “ _Even better.”_

He was floating away, lost in his desire to remain still for David, in the sheer pleasure of being completely his. When David reached down and palmed him, Michael became aware of how hard he was, noticed the erection that was straining helplessly against the tightness of his pants.

_“Tell me what you want, Michael.”_

David waited patiently, taking the boy’s face into his hands again. He was almost insensate, eyes glassy and golden. Michael leaned into the touch instinctually, like water flowing over rock.

 _“You feel good, don’t you?”_ David tightened his grip, “ _I bet you feel real good. Could make you do anything I want right now and you would love it. Could tell you to eat your brother, your mom.”_ He paused, his grip tightening even further, “ _You need to understand what it means to be one of us, to be mine.”_

 _“Now,”_ he continued, losing his patience, “ _Tell. Me. What. You. Want.”_

Michael struggled to shaped the words in his mind, “ _Fuck.”_ He stared up at his master, feeling David deep within his bone marrow, possessing every cell of his body. “ _Want you to fuck me.”_

David smiled and pushed him to the ground, ripping open Michael’s fly and shoving his pants down below his waist. Michael felt himself pinned, face pressed hard into the ground. His erection trapped between his stomach and the floor. David growled, freeing his own length and then sunk into Michael without any preparation. A searing pain shot through Michael’s body. David moved in and out, slowly at first. A strange sensation started building up as David hit a spot deep within him, growing tantalizingly more distinct with each movement. The feeling of pain faded away as he concentrated on the sensation, wanting more, wanting again, craving it. David began to pound into him, still pressing him into the ground. It was overwhelming. He abandoned himself to David’s movements, fitting around him like a glove. He wanted more, harder, felt himself disappearing as David filled him up, shattered him.

Just when he felt like he couldn’t take it anymore, David plunged his fangs into his neck. The bite drew out the orgasm, sending wave after wave of pleasure cresting through him. There was no separation between them as David drank him in, riding his climax. By the time Michael had finished spending, David had taken a lot of blood, leaving him weak and wrung out. David licked slowly, almost lovingly, at the wound, closing it.

Sliding out, David gently turned Michael over. He could feel David’s come, mixed with blood, dripping out of him as David began to lathe his torso, licking the blood and come from the now-smooth, unbroken skin of his chest. Licked up the thin layer of blood smeared across his face, moved down to tongue the cleft of his ass with a groan. He was definitely sore, but Michael could already feel himself healing, the tears knitting themselves together. He let himself be caressed, melting into the feeling of belonging that washed over him. Pressing his nose into David’s neck, he breathed him in, a feeling of peacefulness settling over him as a contented sound escaped from his lips.

Dwayne trailed back into the room, eying the pair with approval, “ _Dinner’s almost here.”_

David smiled, pulling up Michael’s pants gently. Michael had worked up an appetite, needed to replenish what he had taken; he couldn’t wait to watch the new vampire feed like this. 

At the sound of shouts and laughter at the cave’s entrance, David stood up abruptly. Michael drew himself up to his knees, dropping back on his heels and resting himself against David’s legs, languid and defiled. David’s smile spread wider at how automatically the new vampire anticipated his will, took up this position. He rested his hand possessively on the boy’s shoulder. 

As Paul and Marko descended, a hulking Surf Nazi pinned between them, Michael leaned into David’s touch. He relished the feeling of David’s saliva coating his bare chest, felt brazen, proud to be at his master’s feet. An inscrutable expression crossed his face, still warped and feral, as he took in the surfer. He imagined, with a delighted shiver, how strange, how inhuman he must look. He wondered if he would be allowed to eat the man. He hoped so, the smell of blood and fear sent a tremor of arousal through his body. David had begun to massage his shoulder, pressing into the hard muscle.

“Well, well,” David said, low and dangerous, “Look what the cat dragged in.”

Marko grinned, tightening his grip, “Beach bunny here wanted to party with us!” He giggled ominously and began making crazed meowing sounds as the surfer struggled. The man’s eyes darted around the darkened lobby and he let out an involuntary cry of terror as he took in the distorted features of the two boys in front of him.

Paul slung his arm around the human’s shoulder, quelling his agitated movements, “Said we’d show him a real good time.” He was having fun, drawing out his words with an over-the-top delivery.

“Hmmm,” David pretended to think, still kneading his hands into Michael’s shoulder, “I wonder what kind of trouble we could get up to, all alone in here.” He glanced at Dwayne, who was half-hidden in shadow. “Our brother Michael, now he knows how to have fun. Bet he could show you a thing or two.” David gave Michael’s shoulder a final squeeze.

At this cue, Michael got up, eyes glittering, and moved towards the surfer with predatory grace. “Yeah,” he said, pushing the words out past his fangs, still unused to speaking aloud in his new form. “You and me, we’re gonna have a real good time.” His voice sounded deep and strange. The surfer tried to run as Paul and Marko released their grip, but Michael caught him easily. He ran his gaze up and down his prey’s body, taking him in with hideous delight. The man was in a cold sweat, muscles shaking, gearing up for a fight he knew he couldn’t win. Michael smiled, baring his fangs, luxuriating in the look of terror and disbelief that met his gaze. Fuck, the smell was amazing, overpowering. He wanted to devour him, but he also wanted to draw it out, wanted to play.

He pressed himself against the surfer, who stilled with terror. He rested his head on his shoulder, hiding his face in the boy’s hair. He spoke again, more gently now, “You should probably try to run, you know, get out of here.” He willed the man to forget his vampiric form, forget what he had just seen. Mind games. “Bet you could make it, if you were fast enough.” The man nodded, placated, gearing up to run. As he made his attempt to escape, Michael began to laugh, holding on to him easily. He leaned in, eyes glowing, and licked the sweat from the surfer's neck, feeling his blood thrum wildly under his lips. “Ahh, too slow.” With that, he ripped into his throat, drinking deeply from the vein.

After a moment, he wrenched himself away. With a bloody smile, he looked up at Paul, Marko, Dwayne, and David, “ _Hungry, brothers?”_

David exchanged a satisfied look with Dwayne.

 _“Nah,”_ Marko grinned, “ _We already ate.”_ He picked a bit of flesh from his claws, pretending to be bored.

 _“Special delivery,”_ Paul did a little mock-pirouette, “ _just for you, Mikey.”_

Michael glanced over to David. At his master’s nod, he growled and reapplied himself to the surfer’s mangled throat, drinking greedily, losing himself again in the rush of blood.

__

Michael tore through the air, dropping precipitously close to the ocean before leveling out, skimming its surface. He could see the moon and stars reflecting in the glassy water, unmarred by his own reflection.

Dwayne caught up with him, a smile crossing his elongated features, free and happy. “ _Good, you’re getting the hang of it.”_ He dipped his hand in the water, letting it burn him for a second, before he emerged with a small fish caught between his clawed fingers. Tossing it at Michael, he shot straight upwards, letting out a great howl. Michael followed, joining in.

Taking a break from the flying practice a few hours later, the two perched on a remote outcropping of rocks in the dark sea. Michael stretched out on his back, looking up at the stars, “ _That was incredible.”_

Dwayne hummed, agreeing. “ _Never gets old.”_

Michael turned towards him, a question forming in his mind again. He tried to push it down, remembering back to Paul’s warning.

A funny look crossed the other vampire’s face, “ _Almost three hundred years ago.”_

Dwayne looked out into the distance, squinting at the horizon. It was a long time before he spoke. “ _David came with the first wave of settlers that made it out this far. We were on opposite sides of a bloody war. Well, David and Max weren’t really there to win, they were there for the cover it provided for their hunting.”_ He hesitated, running a clawed finger through his dark hair, an uncharacteristically human gesture. “ _I was a hunter too and they saw something in me, decided to bring me into the fold. Helped me up the body count. Picked off the colonizers, one by one, but in the end,”_ he paused, _“it was too late for my people, for my land. And after a while,”_ he paused again, looking almost sad, “ _I accepted that I wasn’t really people anymore.”_

They sat in silence, the waves crashing around them. If you listened carefully, you could hear an encyclopedia of sea birds calling to each other, could hear sharks sliding through the water, could hear the distant flap of insect wings back on shore. Michael realized that he could probably count the number of times he had actually heard Dwayne speak aloud on one hand. He didn’t really talk to humans if he could help it, and the boys mostly stuck to their silent communication when they were alone. He let his face shift, feeling the bones slide and grow, stretching his fangs out, felt the change run through his body, sharpening his instincts, opening him up completely to the other vampire. He turned to Dwayne and the two took off in unison, disappearing into the night sky.


	10. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys play pool; Marko reminisces.

Game night again. A couple of months had passed, now, since Michael first joined them, since he had turned. This time they were in a dive bar a few towns over. Dwayne, David, and Paul were hogging the pool table, surrounded by a cloud of smoke, pissing off the regulars. Michael caught the bartender’s eye, “Two whiskeys, rocks.” He practiced controlling the man’s mind to avoid paying and then carried the glasses over to where Marko was sitting. Slid a drink over with a grin, “Let the games begin!”

Marko gave him a wry smile back, but didn’t look up, didn’t pause his roving surveillance of the room.

Michael sat down, moving himself a little closer to Marko than he might have otherwise. He was excited. This was his first time helping Marko out with his designs. There were about thirty other patrons, on the higher side for them. Might be a bit of a challenge. Messy, anyway. The music was shitty country, cranked up loud, and the crowd already boisterous. The boys stuck out in their leather, with their hairstyles and earrings.

Marko was acting more serious than usual, had a strange, hunted look about him. Usually got pretty serious, actually, at the beginning of this particular game. He sighed, took a sip of whisky, didn’t even pretend to shudder at the strength of the drink.

“You think about your family much these days?” Marko asked, out of nowhere.

Michael was confused for a second, before realizing he meant Sam, Lucy, his grandfather. He shrugged, “Not really.” He paused, “I mean, I wonder what I’d do if I saw them, wonder what they’d do, I guess.” It was weird, he hadn’t thought much about them at all. He felt vaguely surprised, remembered how worried he’d been that night he saw Sam, the night that he made his first kill. He wondered idly if Lucy had been looking for him, wondered what Sam had told her. He didn’t particularly want to eat them, but he also couldn’t really see why not.

Marko took another long sip, “First thing I did, when I turned, went to visit my old man. Killed the shit out of him. No fun in it either, just cut his fucking throat. Didn’t know what hit him,” he continued, “not sure he even recognized me. Hadn’t seen me in a few years.”

Marko must have left home really young, Michael realized. But in that moment, he looked so old; it was hard to reconcile the blond vampire’s eyes with his baby face, with his loud clothing.

Marko swirled his glass around a few times. The ice cube hadn’t melted much, benefit of a total lack body heat. “You and me, Michael, we’re so new. Dwayne thinks I’m still too caught up in this human shit. Should let it go.” He watched the amber liquid slosh from side to side, “He’s probably right, but…” His jaw tensed. “It felt so good, watching the fucker die and just not caring anymore, not caring about any of it at all.”

Michael nodded, sipping at his drink, familiar with that curtain of distance that hung between them and the human world now. He felt himself move a little closer to his brother, anxious to comfort him, to be near.

“I was gonna die, no matter what. Was on death’s doorstop. When I first got diagnosed, well, nobody really knew what was going on. Where it came from, how you caught it, how it spread. I mean, shit, it’s 1987 now and that asshole in the White House hasn’t even said the word AIDS aloud.” He finished his whiskey, setting it down carefully. “You remember they called it GRID at first? Gay-related…said you got it for being a faggot. God’s punishment for fucking.” His mouth burned, tasted sulfurous as he spit out the word “god.” He wanted another drink, or seven.

A moment later, Dwayne appeared, bringing a tray of shots with him. He downed one, then another, and then headed over to discreetly lock up the doors to the bar.

Marko smiled for a second, his expression becoming a little less human. He slid a shot over to Michael, “Bottoms up.” He laughed a little at his own joke as they drank. Took Michael a second. Marko rolled his eyes, “Ah, but you weren’t really _in the life_ , were you, when you were alive.” He laughed ruefully and downed another shot, “Doesn’t matter, pegged you the second I saw you. Probably better this way, for you anyway, it’s a nightmare out there.”

Michael tried to push down the remnants of discomfort he still felt when he thought about what he had done with David. How much he had liked it, craved it still. What that made him. He wondered how he would have reacted when he was still human.

“You wouldn’t have survived it, honey.” Marko camped a bit, picking up on the other boy’s thoughts and giving him a knowing look. David liked it rough, rougher than a human body could enjoy, could withstand even. “But it’s different for us now anyway, don’t really divide the world into pink and blue anymore, do we? More like pack and hamburgers.” He held up another shot, examining it in the light. “This is just,” he fluttered his other hand, “my human shit.”

They were both starting to get a little buzzed, finally. It took a lot, and it didn’t really last too long. Downing two more in a row, Marko leaned in towards Michael, alcohol mixed with the usual coppery scent of his breath. “Had mass murder on my mind, when I first met Paul.” An abstracted look crossed over his face, “No, I had other things on my mind when I met Paul, I suppose.” He gave Michael a tiny, obscene smile before his expression changed quickly back. “But I was ready to burn it to the ground. Saw death every day, my friends, lovers dropped dead, one after the other. Everyone I had in the world,” he snapped his fingers, “gone. And what were we gonna fucking do about it? Petition Congress? Demonstrate in front of some pharmaceutical company’s headquarters?” The empty shot glass in his hand shattered under the pressure of his grip, sending splinters of glass and blood across the table. A few people turned to look in their direction. “They wanted us dead,” he said quietly, “that was the fucking point.”

Marko stared down at the table, silent for a moment. Michael slid an arm around him, needing to comfort the other vampire.

“Still a maudlin drunk, after everything,” Marko closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were laced with gold. “Wanna know what’s ironic?” He tilted his head towards Michael, “Turns out it’s really fun to be dead.”

With that, he leaned in, pressing his lips against Michael’s. They actually kissed for a while, started to really get into it, before anyone in the bar noticed. Michael caught the first fist with his bare hands, not needing to turn around to intercept it. It turned out that thirty to five was't even close to a fair fight. Marko tore apart one after another of the bar’s patrons, covering himself in blood and guts, leaving a path of destruction behind him. Michael’s claws dug into the shoulders of the man he had caught as he forced his prey to watch the other vampire’s rampage. Smiling into the man’s throat, Michael relished in the hideous grin, carefree and ecstatic, that twisted across his brother’s face before he let himself bite down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm fudging the timeline a little here. After over six years of negligent silence, Reagan publicly acknowledged the AIDS crisis on April 2, 1987.
> 
> If you are interested in this sort of thing, a little history from https://actupny.org/  
> Also recommended: http://www.unitedinanger.com/


End file.
